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“But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:24 – 26).
One of the wonderful benefits of being a part of the body of Christ is experiencing the multiplying of joy and the sharing of sorrow.
Good news was meant to be shared. New life, renewed health, career advancement – the excitement and pleasure that each one of these events brings is amplified by sharing.
When we join together to celebrate individual blessings, we acknowledge that God is good and that He alone is the source of every good gift. Our focus is on God, which unifies and strengthens the body. Conversely, when envy and comparison creep in, that unity is destroyed.
Living a lifetime of belief in Jesus is something that we cannot do alone. Along with the joy, there will be trouble.
When we live in the interconnectedness that God desires, we can’t help but hurt when one member of our fellowship is hurting. No one likes to experience pain. Pain, by its nature, tends to isolate. Yet God calls us to break down the barrier of pain, by willingly entering into the suffering of another. There is a wonderful intimacy with God and others that can only be discovered by sharing a sorrow.
God put us into the church – the body of Christ, the fellowship of believers – that we might experience more of who He is. Increased joy and help in hardship are a part of the blessing waiting for you in the body of Christ.
~Thank You, God for making me part of the body of Christ.
About the Author
This devotional was written by Suzanne Benner. Read more about Suzanne: http://www.talk.thelife.com/authors/Suzanne-Benner/
Going Deeper
1. Consider these questions: How does joining in on someone else’s joy honour God? How has sharing a sorrow deepened your walk with God? What benefits have you experienced being part of the body of Christ?
2. Comment on this devotional. Visit the blog and click on “comment” http://talk.thelife.com/
3. Chat: Join us for a 15-minute chat at 10:30 am Eastern, 7:30 am Pacific: http://www.christianwomentoday.com/chat
4. Check out the related article, “Listening With Compassion” http://www.christianwomentoday.com/growth/listening.html
Copyright
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Imagine if one of your organs started to fail, the rest of your organs would soon follow, if not helped, because they are all connected somehow. Same goes for being part of the Body of Christ! As Christians we have the responsibility to help others when needed, in good and bad.
I will for surely, be checking my “servant meter” over the next little while here :-)
God Bless!
Sharing joy and sorrow with the body of Christ has been a very real experience for me the last few days as my uncle died. It amazed me to see the “boundarylessness” of the body of Christ; people who don’t know my extended family were praying earnestly for them. Today, it was joyous to be able to share with them some very specific answers to prayer that happened at the funeral.