“We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
When we encounter others who have faith in Jesus, we share a spiritual connection. In a hard to explain way, this lights a spark within us. We have the most important thing in common because we believe what the Bible says about Christ and how it’s possible to have a relationship with God through Him (Romans 10:9).
Most importantly, the Spirit of God lives in each believer, knitting us together so powerfully that the Bible compares us to the interconnected parts of the human body. First Corinthians 12:13 says “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body” – the body of Christ. And because of that, it’s important to remember just how much one single life touches so many other lives, much like the lesson taught in the classic Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”.
God often works in our lives through others who love Him, whether they’re near or far, known or new acquaintances. In our loneliest times, we can ask Him to send His people-even as we offer ourselves to be used by Him to encourage others and to even influence their lives, even in the smallest way.
Daily Questions
- Where do you turn when you feel lonely or that you don’t matter?
- How has God worked through other believers in your life?
Daily Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for including us in Your family. Please use us to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ today.
Amen.
1 Corinthians 12:12-20
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body-whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
“Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where w3ould the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
Reflection
The metaphor of believers in Jesus forming one body is used elsewhere in Scripture, Paul employs the same imagery in Romans 12:4-5. He also speaks of the church as God’s “building”. These metaphors point to an essential unity among the members of the church at large. We may be tempted to downplay certain roles as less prestigious while esteeming others that have more visibility. The apostle cautions against this mistake by pointing out the essential role of each gifting: “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?”. Earlier in this passage, he emphasized how God gifts each of us “for the common good”. Just as we receive gifting to help others in the body of fellow believers in Christ, when we’re lonely, God uses others to encourage us.
No Thought Police 