Jana

Jana

Monday, April 23, 2012

Devotion: That Small Part is SO IMPORTANT!

"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12.

It was late on a Friday night, and my husband and I were bent over my laptop as it laid in pieces on my living room floor. I was holding my daughter's Tinker Bell flashlight, and he was holding a tiny little screwdriver. You see, the past few months my computer has been giving me problems. I couldn't see my screen unless it was opened at a certain angle, and that certain angle was never the same at any given moment. Matter of fact, the post I had written that morning was done with my laptop propped between a fruit basket and a bakery box at a 45 degree angle. I was getting tired of never being able to clearly see any pictures, and only occasionally seeing what was on my screen. And since both my husband and I are pretty decent at technology, we decided to tackle the problem. What seemed to be the problem was this itty bitty plastic piece that held information from my keyboard to my screen. Somehow it had come loose and it requires a certain amount of pressure in order for my computer to work great.

I was absolutely amazed at such a little piece that affected so many aspects of my life. My son couldn't do his research project; I couldn't post things on my blog, my work, or even on just plain ole Facebook. I mean, it was just a small little piece in the entire computer. That tiny little piece was keeping the entire thing from working the way it was intended to work.

Later I was thinking about that little piece and all the little things in this world that have such major impact. Some are good things, like my little plastic piece or my little daughter (who has made a major impact on the dynamics of the mostly-boy family). Some things are bad. Think about how a little splinter in your foot can cause you to hobble around the rest of the day. Or what about your tongue. That small organ on your body can be the source of so much joy and so much pain. It's all in how we use our words.

Then my thoughts transitioned to the body of Christ (can you see the train of thought here...tiny computer piece to the body of Christ...that  is normally how it all works for me). There are so many times that I feel I just don't have the talent to do the stuff that makes a major impact on Christ's church. There are so many talented people in my church, that I feel like a second fiddle compared to them. But God revealed to my heart that it is not always about the big impacts that make the church run. It's about ALL the impacts. Yes, my husband can sing and play and people can be amazed at his talent as he serves the Lord through worship, but taking the time to help my sons read the words on the screen impact their lives in the future. Cleaning the kitchen after a church supper is a great way to serve. Walking around after church picking up all the bulletins that were left is a great way to serve. One lady in my church is there all the time just doing stuff. This past weekend she came to a baby shower, and after everyone left, she helped me pack up my car, and then she stayed to organize the craft closet. All of those things are what make the church thrive. Choosing to use kind words; choosing to apologize to a brother or sister in Christ; choosing to accept that apology; choosing to stay out of gossip, to discourage gossip, and to encourage reconciliation; all of those things are ways we can use our tiny organ in our own bodies to strengthen the body of Christ.

Each part is so important. And God sees each part, no matter the size, as something SO BIG! This week, find way to strengthen the body of Christ. See what  your talents are and use them! And if you feel like you have "no talent", then go to the nursery and rock some babies so a mom can be able to sit in the church service. What way will you let God use you for GOOD this week?

Photo Credit

No comments:

Post a Comment