The Body Of Christ

One Body, With Many Parts 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

By Te'Asia Martin

We are one small piece of a larger body, but when you lose sight of who you are, you can get lost in other people’s ideas and perceptions of your identity. Just as we need many blood cells in the body to exist, we need a variety of professionals in every field to meet the vast needs of the world. Read about how the body has many members, why your membership matters to the next person’s success, and three reasons why you need to stay rooted in your promise.

We’ve officially entered into 2020 and a new decade. It’s time to create a new vision board with more motivation and harder to reach goals. Your fitness goals may have taken a dip or two, or just maybe, you’ve done your best work to date and you’ve stayed the course. Somehow, even in performing your best, there is still a sense of uneasiness stirring in the back of your mind. It seems that you're in the same stagnant boat as everyone else and keeping sight of your purpose is becoming more distant as the year goes on.

Let me encourage you now; It’s time to retreat to the Word! The Word is sure to nourish your dwindling spirit faster than any Instagram meme can. Let’s start with the good news. The Bible says that you, my friend, have a place in the body of Christ, just like each part of the human body is important for full functionality. Then! To enhance the fact that you are a member, fitly joined with the rest of the body, your membership requires you to provide love and edification to the world (Ephesians 4:16).

How can it be possible then, sis, for someone to achieve their greatness without you playing your role in the body? Are you lost in the sauce? Have you forgotten your role in the body of Christ and who you are as a professional?

Tip No 1: Keep your mind alert

The passages from Corinthians and Ephesians outline the importance of your gift that you bring to the world. And to be real with you, your gifts and talents were not given to you based on your request. God’s vision is for everyone to play a unique role and contribute to a fully functioning body. Peep the biblical clap back - “And should the eye say to the hand, “I have no need of you”? No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary (1 Cor 12:22&23). If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?”

With all due respect, watch your mind, and remember that you’re important too.

Tip No. 2: Know when to step back

If you are truthfully experiencing these hints of impostor syndrome, know when to take a step back and assess yourself with someone you trust. You need to be aware of your gift and what you bring to the table as a person and a professional and not downplay that gift. Let's be transparent. It's hard to see others killing it in their purpose, but this is why you take a step back to re-assess the fact that you are actually taking steps towards success. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy, and truthfully, that’s all you’re missing - the joy of what you do!

Tip No. 3: Serve others like you would serve God

Consistency speaks louder than anything else. What you bring to the world is needed. The people who listen, watch, comment, or just experience you need that consistency on a regular basis. Whether you think so or not, you are the light in someone’s life, and without your gifts and your presence, they experience darkness or the absence of your experience. Despite your feelings, no one can do what you do the way you do it, period. You are a one-time gift to this planet, and you will always have that it factor.

You may never receive applause or accolades, but be sure to wake each day with gratitude and a thankful disposition. You share your gifts with the body to edify others, but remember, the body belongs to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. Let everything you do bring glory back to Him. I am a witness that confidence, laughter, and the joy that you’re looking for will be yours. Go ahead and become the thing you were looking for; we need you, just like you need us.