1 Corinthians 12:12- “For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body- so also is Christ.”
What are some of the parts of the body? (highlight eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet, etc.) These are the parts that we can see, but what about the parts that we can’t see? What are some of those? (heart, lungs, brain, bones)
How about even smaller? What is our entire body made up of? (cells)
Types of cells-
Stem cells are unique in that they originate as unspecialized cells and have the ability to develop into specialized cells that can be used to build specific organs or tissues.
Bone cells- There are three different types of bone cells that each perform a specific job.
Blood Cells-
Red blood cells- determine blood type and transport oxygen
White blood cells- fight off infections
Muscle Cells- enable the body to move and our hearts and other organs to work
Fat Cells- store energy
Skin Cells- act as a barrier for anything outside of the body getting in
Nerve Cells- send messages among the other members of the body
Think about all of the different parts of the body that we have just gone over. And even with all of those different parts, there are still so many more that make up our bodies. Each part has a specific job to do, the job that it was created for. Paul puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 12:14-18- “Indeed, the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as He wanted.”
And then, in verse 27, Paul says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.” When we choose to follow Jesus, the Bible says that we become members of His body, and as members of His body, each one of us has a part to play. We see this in our school. What if all of our teachers one day decided that they want to be Mrs. Bittner? What would happen? Would things work in our school? But sometimes, that is what we do. We think that we want to be like someone else, to have their same personality or their same gifts. But that’s not what God intended. He made each one of us for a specific purpose with a role to play in His body, the church.
So, what’s the point of all of this? The point is that God made you YOU, so be YOU. Don’t try to be someone else because if you try to be someone else, then it’s like an ear trying to be an eye. If an ear tries to be an eye, will it do a good job? And even if it succeeded, would that be a good thing for the body? No, because then the body would miss out on hearing. If you try to be somebody else, then the body of Christ misses out on you and your gifts and talents and personality. So, instead, thank God for making you you and begin seeking out the purpose that He has for you as an important member of His body.