Houston Rockets players huddle before a game, Jan. 28, 2021. (Troy Taormina/Pool Photo via AP)
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” — 1 Corinthians 12:21-22
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Team unity is easy to talk about but it’s difficult to keep the peace during an 82-game NBA season. The dozen or so guys on a basketball team ride on planes and buses together, eat meals at the same table, dress for games near one another, and do charity events together. They spend a lot of time together, but since everyone is different, it’s not surprising for flare-ups to happen occasionally or for players to get in arguments or even shove one another after a loss or something else small that sparks frustration.
Though we may not realize it, we hurt team unity when we act selfishly. We’re all guilty of causing division when we think too much about ourselves. The same is true in the body of Christ.
When we speak an unkind word and hurt somebody’s feelings, harmony is lost for the moment. Since none of us is perfect, we can hinder the cause of Christ from time to time no matter how hard we try not to do so. We need to work to avoid harming other members because we’re connected to one another. Think of how we can’t injure our elbow without a pain shooting all the way to our fingertips — every part of our body is attached from head to toe through nerve endings, blood vessels, bones and skin.
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write a comparison between our physical body and the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he pleaded with them to remember the infinite value of each person in the church. So he urged us to be unselfish and told us not to demand to be rulers over other members.
Christ has the ultimate authority and we should all work under His leadership. Therefore, God calls us to play our part in His Kingdom and function as God intended. We shouldn’t try to be anyone else. We should consider the concerns of all members when working for the Lord, making plans and gathering for worship. Every person is special in his or her own way.
As the brain works together with the ears, mouth, eyes, hands and feet, the Lord commands us to find a way to encourage, help and appreciate every person in the congregation. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).
In a local church, though some stand on the platform to lead singing or preach, the quiet prayer warriors, as well as those who mow grass, keep the nursery, and take up the offering, are just as important. Just like individual teammates have their own unique skillsets and roles but make up one united team, we as individual believers all make up the united body of Christ.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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