One Body

You are part of the body of Christ. You have been gifted and have a role to play in helping the body be one.

“The daughters of Zelophehad...were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” So Moses brought their case before the Lord, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them...Moses said to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Moses did as the Lord commanded him...Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.” ‭

‭Numbers‬ ‭27‬:‭1‬-‭5‬, ‭7‬-‭8‬, ‭12‬, ‭15‬-‭18‬, ‭22‬-‭23‬

There are two principles that stand out in today's passages. First, the daughters staking a claim to their inheritance aligns with the value of each person in the kingdom of God. In that ancient culture, women at that time were not given legal rights nor were they recognized as heirs. The Lord agreed with them. The Lord's ways are not the ways of the world. He recognized them as part of the body and deserving of inheritance.

Second, we are all stewards not owners. Moses did not own the flock he served rather he stewarded them for the season he was in charge. There will come a time when we all hand the take the reins and hand the reins over to others. It is important to keep a broader perspective on our possessions and how our careers fit within our lives. Who are you commissioning? How are you helping prepare the way for others to use their gifts?

“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you"

Psalms‬ ‭144‬:‭1‬-‭3‬, ‭9‬, ‭15‬

David was a man of many talents and roles. He was a warrior, father, poet, and king. While he was able to achieve great things, he did not do any of it alone. You cannot be a king without a kingdom of people, nor a poet without an audience, nor a father without a family. How do you fit within the body? What are your roles?

David declared that whatever he needed to do, he could not do in his own strength. He knew that God alone could bring him success in any of his roles. He asks God to train, deliver, comfort, protect, and guide him. How does God help you each day with what you have to do? Are there any areas or roles where you go it alone? How could you grow in your reliance on Him in each area?

“Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed"‭‭
Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭4‬-‭7‬

Solomon shares great wisdom about how to live a life of faith and achievement. He does not say that you should take the safe road or just stay comfortable with where you are. Quite the opposite. He says you have to take chances in life and recognize that you do not know what will be successful. What works for one person might not work for you so try different things to see what best fits your strengths.

This does not mean you should just invest in anything and everything, but it does mean that you should develop your gifts by trying new things. What will you try that is new this year? Where could you take a step of faith to see how your spiritual gifts could be multiplied? Many people talk about what they want, but they wait rather than work on the next step towards their goals. Solomon says start early and work hard because you do not know what will help you thrive.

“Testing will surely come...The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.” ‭‭

Ezekiel‬ ‭21‬:‭13‬, ‭24‬, ‭26‬

Jesus had a similar message. He said if you humble yourself, you will be exalted. How do we respond to testing in our lives? At the heart of this testing is comparison. Testing is designed to prove the truth. How does testing relate to whether you are humble or prideful in your life when comparing yourself with others? How does comparison currently impact your life? There can be good comparison where iron sharpens iron, but often comparison results in pride.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles...we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭7‬, ‭12‬-‭14‬, ‭25‬-‭27‬, ‭31

Why do you think Paul spends so much time discussing how each person fits into the body of Christ? Is it not because of how common it is for each of us to experience the ill effects of comparison and the poison of pride? Have you ever been around others who had spiritual gifts that you admired but felt like you do not possess? Have you ever been around people who seem to more naturally pray, more profoundly preach, more boldly prophecy, and more dramatically express the gifts of the spirit through actions like healing? The enemy of your life wants to make you feel less than, unworthy, or unqualified because of the gifts you do not have.

The Holy Spirit wants to empower and equip you. God says He knew you when you were in your mother's womb and perfectly made you to serve His purposes. The key to unlocking the kingdom power in your life is learning to hear the voice of truth over the voice of the enemy. Which voice will you listen to? The voice of God says you are wanted, chosen, and equipped by the Holy Spirit to do the great things that He has planned for you in advance. The voice of truth says you can live with a free heart knowing that you are fully loved. The voice of truth says that you are uniquely and wonderfully made to be you. Give thanks to the Lord today for how you were made and ask Him how you can best serve the body today.