Courtney Gilmore In the family, everyone has a part to play. There’s the person that gets everything together; the facilitator; the organized one; the creative one; the one that initiates; the talker; the analyst; the risktaker; the one that works behind the scenes; the leader; the follower; the photographer; the cook; the doer; the planner; the caregiver; the protector; the peacemaker; the morning person; the night owl; the one that keeps everything; the one that gets rid of the clutter; the storyteller; the one that makes everyone laugh; the serious one; the realist; the dreamer, the pessimist; the optimist; and so on.
Think for a minute about your family and what role each member plays. Initially some of these roles may seem a bit annoying or less important to you. But if you really think about it, you love them all and you need every member to bring balance to the family. You may wish you could be the funny one, or that the dreamer would come back down to earth once in a while, or that the planner would leave you alone. But you also know that a good listener is needed, that the realist needs some hope and excitement once in a while, and that if it were left to the follower no one would ever get together again.
Everyone has a purpose in the family. When one person is missing, no one else can quite fill the void they leave behind. You may get frustrated with the family members that do everything different than you, but everyone cannot be like you or many things would be left undone. You may feel insignificant or unwanted, but without you, everyone else would struggle. Every person in a family is needed and sorely missed when they aren’t there. The family is not complete without everyone there playing their part.
It is the same in the family of God. We all have a part to play and we all have to work together to accomplish God’s will. This is how Paul explained it to the church in Corinth.
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? If the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? Or if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? And if the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 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.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 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, but our presentable parts have no need.
But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
1 Corinthians 12:14-26
Not only do we miss the people that aren’t there, but the whole family suffers in their absence. If one member cannot perform their normal function because of some ailment or hardship, everyone grieves the loss. When one member is hurting or struggling in some way, the whole family feels their pain. But if another member celebrates a great success or milestone everyone feels a sense of accomplishment and rejoices with them. This is a family, each member a part of the whole.
In the family of God, we each have a part to play too. The church is made up of many different parts. All working together, we serve the Lord & accomplish His will on this earth. As I listed several familial roles, Paul listed several spiritual roles within the church. We perform these roles according to the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit who chooses them specific to each one of His children.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit; to another the word of knowledge to the same Spirit; to another faith; to another gifts of healing; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 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. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…
Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? All prophets? Are all teachers? All workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues or interpret? You earnestly desire the best gifts, yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:4-13 & 27-31
God gives each one of us gifts and they each have a purpose within the church. If someone does not perform their function, then the whole church suffers. If someone tries to be something they are not, then the church is also done a disservice. Or if we do not yield to one another, recognizing each gift as useful, allowing each member to fulfill their purpose, then we are not submitting to God’s plan. God calls His children to work together, each individual serving according to their giftedness to benefit the whole.
So, if you know the gifts that God has given to you, work well with others to accomplish His will. If you don’t know your spiritual gifts, then pray and ask the Lord to show you the role He created you for. There are many questionnaires online that can help you discover your spiritual gifts. Also, Paul tells the Romans even more gifts that may belong to you. Whatever your purpose, the point is that you have one. You are a special part of the whole. Don’t leave God’s family incomplete! There is a hole that only you can fill!
We, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:5-8
Excerpt from Episode 92 “Being Part of the Family of God” on Podcast and YouTube
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