The AMI QT Devotionals from March 20-26 are provided by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT FOR TODAY

One Body, Many Parts

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

If you are a college basketball fan, you know that March Madness is taking place now.  It is the biggest and greatest tournament in college sports where the top 64 teams compete to become college basketball champions.  Every year, without fail, there is always one team that surprises everyone – an underdog or unknown college team that somehow make it far in the tournament.  Often, the reason why these underdog teams do so well is because of how well they play as a unit.  Where they lack in talent, they make up in playing as a unified team, which often brings success.

As we continue in our study of spiritual gifts, the apostle Paul also emphasizes the importance of unity within the Body of Christ.  Paul again uses the human body to illustrate the unity and interrelationships of the members of Christ’s body, the church.  He continues using the body illustration saying that even though unity is the most important characteristic, diversity is essential to that unity.  Paul reminds us that a body could not possibly function if it were composed of all the same parts.  “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing?” (v.17).  As a fellowship of believers, we operate more effectively with members performing different ministries.

One danger we can fall into when it comes to spiritual gifts is envying other’s gifts.  That is one of the reasons why Paul is addressing the church in Corinth.  How about you?  Do you tend to envy other people’s spiritual gifts to the point that it hinders you from serving wholeheartedly with the gifts God has given you?  Remember, we are all important and crucial to building up the body.  Serve, minister, and bring unity to the body as the Word instructs us today.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the ways You have uniquely gifted each one of us in the body.  Help us to live in contentment, and may it lead us to serve others in our respective churches today. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 14