Being the Body
For years a fitness craze has swept across our nation. For a small sum you can purchase a little plastic gadget that is guaranteed to give you a “tonier tummy.” Or, you can be aerobicized by the latest cross-country ski simulator. You can still “sweat with the oldies” if that is your cup of tea. Everyone has heard the news: fitness pays! There are great benefits in a well-thought-out and properly executed plan for body building.
Did you realize that God wants every Christian to be in the body building business? Building up the body of Christ, the church, should be a priority in our lives! This is what being the body is all about! Consider that Ephesians 4:16 says that the whole body is joined and held together by every supporting ligament and it grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Collectively, members of the body of Christ enjoy the benefit of relationships which help us grow in the Lord. Individually, each member has the responsibility to function as an industrious builder in God’s spiritual house, being careful how he builds (1 Corinthians 3:10b). Because, we are all in the body building business, we must give careful attention to becoming more effective builders. Where does this begin?
First, the church is built on the rock solid foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). There is no other suitable underpinning. Jesus is our firm foundation, upon this Rock we can build with confidence. In fact, if we are not putting Christ first we are building on shifting sand.
Next, Paul indicates that the building process involves both planting and watering the seed, that is, God’s Word (1 Corinthians 3:6). Inherent in the preceding is both message and method. The seed needs to be sown in human hearts. We must be truly convicted that the Word of God, when implanted in human hearts, can save (James 1:21). Even as Paul was willing to become all things to all men that he might by all possible means save some (1Corinthians 9:22), we must also be committed to engaging in every permissible method to broadcast this message to the world.
Finally, we must realize that God has designed the church to work together as an interdependent unit. Members of Christ’s body aren’t to have a “maverick mentality.” While we are all required to do our part, we don’t “go it alone.” Romans 12:5 states, “In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” God’s plan is for us to function as a body, working together as a living organism to bring about spiritual growth. The body builds itself up in love as each part does its work. We who are members of the Lord’s church all need one another. Because each member has been blessed by God with special talents and abilities, every member should be resolved to be involved. This what being the body is all about!
© Bill Williams
2009.06.22
Posted on 22nd June 2009
Under: Christian Living, Kingdom Living | 1 Comment »








In The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning relates a story told by Richard Selzer in Mortal Lessons. A surgeon, Selzer was forced to sever the facial nerve of a young woman in order to remove a tumor. When she inquired as to whether her face would remain twisted and palsied, the surgeon informed her that it would, since he was forced to cut the nerve. The poignancy of the moment is accentuated when her young husband ended the silence by stating that he thought it was cute. He then twisted his own lips to accommodate hers and pressed his lips against hers, confirming his love and showing her that their kiss still worked.
What psalms are your favorites? This is a difficult question for me, since life’s changing circumstances bring different psalms to the fore. However, there are several that are seldom far from my thoughts. As I sit here on the front porch composing this post on a beautiful spring day in May, these are my top twelve psalms (and why).
On May 31, 2002, I attended the closing program at Ground Zero in New York City. This was a special day full of ceremonies designed to mark the beginning of the rebuilding process at Ground Zero. There was also hope for the day’s activities providing some closure for those who were grieving the death of loved ones when the Twin Towers collapsed following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
With the official holiday falling on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day naturally marks the beginning of summer. School is out for most students. June weddings are just around the corner. For those who live a bit further north, swimming pools are often opened over the Memorial Day weekend. And, many people also enjoy a three-day weekend. Of course, the