For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12
An old judge I used to chat with in the Fredericton courthouse smoked a pipe. As we would sit in his office, he would fill his pipe, lean back in his chair, and light up, holding the pipe in his left hand. I never asked him how it happened, but the judge had lost the thumb on his left hand to an accident. To compensate for the absence of the thumb, the judge would twist the index finger around so that it became almost as capable as a thumb at grasping things. We find it is true that when people lose one part of their body, other parts will compensate to some extent. But, just like the judge still found some tasks awkward without his thumb, so an Assembly of God’s people is awkward without the qualities and gifts that God has given to a member who is not present.
Just as there are some things that some parts of our bodies cannot do (the ear cannot see, for example, nor the elbow smell), so there are things that you and I can do that nobody else can. And there are things others can do that are outside of my abilities and yours. The different parts of our bodies do not argue or dispute over which part gets to perform certain tasks; they all respond in perfect harmony to the desire and the guidance of the head. How wonderful when all of the members of an Assembly carry out our individual functions in perfect harmony with each other in response to our Lord’s will!
Harmony is the key to a properly functioning Assembly, just as harmony is the mark of a properly functioning body. Consider a task that the body performs, such as removing a book from a bookshelf. The mind determines which book is wanted, the eye identifies the location of the book, the legs move toward the bookcase, the arm lifts the hand to the correct shelf, and the hand grasps the book. All of these are individual tasks that none of the other parts could perform, and yet they are performed in harmony as though all were one. That’s how an Assembly should function, by receiving all direction from our Head, and working together to do His will. There are some diseases that prevent some parts of bodies from responding, or responding properly, to signals from the brain. There are also some spiritual diseases that prevent some Christians from responding to the Word of the Lord. So in addition to harmony, we need obedience.
As I sit and type this message on my computer keyboard, I am glad that my fingers obey the commands of my brain as I place my thoughts into electronic format. But sometimes, when I hold a glass of water in my right hand, there is some trembling in my hand that might cause the water to spill. My hand obeys, but not as well as it used to. Do we obey the Lord Jesus as well as we used to?. As we learn His word, we should actually be more obedient every day.
A healthy body is a good illustration of how members of an Assembly should function. How are we doing with that? -Jim MacIntosh