
Fasting Devotional – Day Twenty-One
Title: The Godhead & The Body
Text: I Corinthians 12:12-27
Written by: Heather Lambert
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 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? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (I Corinthians 12:12-27, ESV)
Thoughts
As we begin a new year, there is one important shift we should all consider. It is found in the ideas outlined in I Corinthians 12. One of the most important parts of our Christian faith is an understanding of The Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three unique parts, all together, making up the Godhead, the Trinity. Jesus taught us to baptize in the name of The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 He teaches us the idea of oneness of the Father and the Son in John 10:30. He helps us see the Holy Spirit as being sent by the Father. John 15:26. He explains that no one can understand God’s thoughts except the Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:10) We learn that the Holy Spirit speaks as God in Hebrews 3:7-11, 10:15-19. I have heard the Trinity explained many times in many ways, but this passage in I Corinthians helps us see, that like the Trinity, the members of the body of Christ are many, but one body.
Can we consider the shift we can make to become more unified in our diversity? Worry is such a common emotion. It involves feeling uneasy or concerned about a situation or problem, it usually if focused on the future. During the fast, I quickly learn that our concern can become about food. Is this ok, is that ok? Can I find a way to have something sweet while still fasting? Can I make enough “fast friendly” food to not feel hungry? What will I eat? This is NOT the point of the 21 days of prayer and fasting. This is actually a common trap the enemy can use to limit the power that comes with fasting. (Matthew 17:21) Today, I encourage you not to worry about what you will eat or drink. Today I encourage you to focus on “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33. This time of prayer and fasting is a time for us to seek God, to seek righteousness (right standing before God) to repent, to listen, to shift, to learn, to surrender, to seek God’s best, His perfect will and way for us, and to seek to be aligned with Him. Food can become such a distraction, even during a fast. Today, will you allow yourself the gift of a worry-free day? When you feel hunger in your stomach, hunger in your mind, or hunger in your soul, will you lean into Him with prayer and humbly seek Him with all your heart? I believe it will change this entire experience for you! First, this passage is teaching that there are many parts to the body, and each has a unique function. Just as the Son had the function to come to earth in human form to become the sacrifice for our sins, we have a function in the body of Christ! WOAH! Yes, like Christ in the Trinity, we are a vital part of the body with a vital function. The Holy Spirit functions to convict of sin and to comfort. Where would we be without the peace that passes understanding that comes from knowing the Father had a perfect plan, the Son submitted to that plan and carried it out, and the Holy Sprit now convicts and comforts as the God within us? Each part so vital in their unique function. That is how YOU are as a part of the body. You have a unique function. The second area of focus is this passage is that none of us are more important than the other. Just as each part of the Holy Trinity is vital, special, and necessary, so are we! Our function does not define our value. Our connection to the body defines our value through the finished work of the cross. We are all needed, we all have an important function, we are all important.
Third, we should give and receive comfort in the body. If one of us is suffering, that one will never suffer alone. We are all there. When we are suffering, we must humble ourselves and call on the body, then the body functions to provide care. What a powerful purpose.
How great is it to be a part of something meaningful? You are! As a part of the body of Christ, YOU bring a unique set of gifts, talents, perspectives, experiences that NO ONE else in the body has! It is your uniqueness that makes the body richly diverse! I did not grow up with an understanding of the power and purpose of fasting. These last 15 years of beginning each year with a time of intentionally saying “no” to my own desires so I can better say “yes” to God’s will, I have come to understand a quote by Jensen Franklin I read early on in our fasting journey. He explains, “Fasting is not so we can get more of God, fasting is so God can get more of us?” This means we surrender food, which is very important to us. We surrender hunger, which is very important to us. We surrender good tasting, pleasing food, which is very important to us. Why? Our goal is to commune with the Psalmist and generations of fasters before who learn, experientially the power of crying out, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! ” Realize it can be easy to see yourself as unimportant. You can admire others in their gifting and compare your influence to their influence and decide you are insignificant. This is a sinful interpretation of the body. We are all important! No part is less important than another. When you are not functioning in the body, the body feels the loss! WOAH! The great example of this is a broken toe. We infrequently think about a small toe during our normal day-to-day when it is functioning as intended, but if it is injured or separated from our body, its importance becomes a focus of all the members of the body. It is the same with you. YOU MATTER! It can be easy to love and care for those who share their needs. Our caring hearts can easily rush toward solutions and care. What an important part of the body this is. We also need to find great comfort in knowing that we have a household full of loving members who are ready and able to help us in the midst of our own suffering! This is such an important function of being a part of One Body.
For me, it can be far easier to view myself as a minister. I can understand my gifting, function in that, and feel I am taking care of my “duty” but we are not duty-bound to the body, we are bound by faith in God, trust in His plans, and care for one another stoked by the Holy Spirit. In the past few years, I have learned the great comfort that comes when we humble ourselves and confess our suffering to others in the body who are so faithful to attend to us during our time of pain.
Challenge
What about you? Have you called out to others in the body for comfort and care? Do you see yourself as a vital part of the body? Do you use your gifts to encourage, support, and further the mission? Do you believe you matter? Do you realize when you are disconnected the body suffers?
Prayer
Father, help us hunger and thirst for you above all. Help us develop a stronger dependence on you than ever. Steady our minds as we intentionally shift our focus to you! May our hungry, growling stomachs remind us of the hunger you want us to have for you and your righteousness. May we, today, and always seek you first! Help us see ourselves as important to the body as each part of the Trinity is to the other. Thank you for modeling the “oneness” you intend for us to experience. Help us bravely practice being the body in the year to come. Help us understand how the body suffers when we are not involved, faithful, serving and using our gifts and resources to strengthen the body. Forgive us when we feel insignificant. Empower us to function well. Clothe us in humility when we suffer and lead us to the care found from one another in our pain. We trust you to knit us all together in love and to empower us to be the body of Christ that serves you well and sets the world free from the burdens of pain, sin, and suffering. Use us! We are ready!
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