In the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians we are told that all believers are members of one body, Christ. It is further explained that, just as a physical body has many different parts each performing their own function, so too the Body of Christ consists of many people each with different gifts. No person need seek to copy or envy another because of that other person’s gifts – any more than the hand need envy the foot or the eye. Each person has their gifts which, when exercised, benefit the whole body.It occurred to me today that there is more to this than an admonition to do what God has given us, to be content and to not envy or attempt to be just like those around us. When a person needs to walk, his feet are called upon to fulfill their function. Walking is what they are made for and when movement from one place to another is required, the feet are fully engaged in the process. However, when that same person is called upon to write a paper, the feet are not needed. The feet can and should rest. It is completely useless for the feet to be concerned about how well the paper is being written. That is the purview of the brain and the hands. The feet cannot positively impact the quality of the writing one iota. It would be silly for them to think they can. If anything, they can only hinder the process if, by failing to rest and be quiet, they create a distraction for the brain.
I need to learn that, when there is something in my life that is beyond my control, it is not my job to worry about it. To do so would be as silly as if my feet were concerned about how to write this post. My worry can only hinder the process that Christ, the head of the Body, has under control.
As God says elsewhere, I need only be still.
