As I was preparing to share this Sunday morning a thought occurred to me. I will be honest I haven't found this stage of our ministry very easy, in fact at times it has been downright hard. But I keep in mind the end goal and why we are doing this ever before me to keep me pushing forward. Anyway, back to my thought, this Sunday I'm sharing on a couple of parables well not sure if I can call one a parable or not but it resembles a parable fairly closely as far as I can tell. They are the parable of the Talents found in Matt 25 and spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. While looking over those two passages I found this passage in 1 Corinthians 12:14-26
"14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 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? 20 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." (1Co 12:14-26 NKJV)
When I stumbled on to the above passage a crazy thought occurred to me, and a possible cause of some of my struggles, I think. God has gifted me with certain gifts particularly in the area of service that involves using my hands and the technical skills I have acquired. Which, I think I could see me as a hand or a part of the hand when thinking of how I fit into the body of Christ. The thing that I'm struggling with is that I find myself viewing myself as being a hand naturally and now I'm trying to do the work of the mouth. A "talking hand" not natural, however God can somehow still use a "talking hand". His power is shown in our weakness, as well as God's sense of humour! As He uses a pilot who doesn't like to talk much and loves hours of solitude, to speak and share His work done through MAF to large groups and individuals. I mean how backwards is that!! So for the time being this "hand" has become a "talking hand" which is not easy but so far it's been doable through God's in powering, and who knows, (other than of course God) maybe my finger tips may yet grow a set of lips. J
I'm a bit scatter brained in my thoughts these days, maybe the lack of sleep has something to do with that, anyway. Someone a while back impressed upon me what seemed to me to be a very profound thought. And so here it is, not directly connected to the above thought but connected in the sense as it brings me encouragement as well through tougher times. There will be times of seeding in our lives. And these times of seeding will not be pleasant. However I have found comfort in knowing that to be used of God we must die just as a tomato seed has to die before new life can happen. Not that I have found it easy but I'm trying not to stop the seed time in my life as it were and let God work and to do so I must die to myself before Christ can bring new life in me and Truly use me for His Glory. For those that don't know me very well please do not miss read this above line and think that I'm a suicidal this is not what I mean when I say I must die to myself. What I'm getting at is my desires, my thoughts, those kinds of things I must let go of so that I can be filled with Christ's desires and thoughts, as we find in John 3:30 NCV "He must become greater, and I must become less important". Thought I better add that last part so no one starts rumours that I'm unstable and ready to end it all. As this couldn't be further than the truth, I love who I am in Christ as He has made me full, not perfect yet but a work in progress. These, the ramblings of my mind, take it for what it's worth. Maybe someone that is struggling through life can find some encouragement that you are not alone and there is a God in heaven that loves us some much He was willing to die for us. And He offers freely to us the hope that passes all understanding.
Blessings from the "Talking Hands" J
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