Sharon Sharing God: EVER FEEL LIKE A TOE?

Thursday, July 22, 2010

EVER FEEL LIKE A TOE?

The human body is truly an amazing thing. Psalm 139 says we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." God knit us together in such complexity, and there is order and purpose to every part of our bodies. No, there is nothing "insignificant" about us.

Now some might think that the brain or the heart are more important than other parts of our bodies.

But I would challenge you to think again!

I'd like to share with you a little story about one of those seemingly "unimportant" parts of the body.

When my youngest son was in high school, I traveled around to various places with his varsity team. I would stay with my "mom friends." One night, we decided to try a new restaurant - which one mom assured us was "right around the block." Needless to say, it wasn't! At one point, we had to run across a wide boulevard. Yes...a dumb idea. Especially because halfway across the street was a large median bump that I did not see!

Yup, I ran into that bump full speed, and fell flat on my face!

Luckily, I did no damage, except that I injured one of my toes. Now here's my point - you might say to yourself, "OK, one toe, no big deal." Let me tell you, that "insignificant" toe cause me so much grief. It was so painful I couldn't sleep that night, and it was probably three weeks before I could walk properly again!

You know what I learned?

TOES ARE NECESSARY!

In God's Word, believers are called the Body of Christ. God decided to show Himself to the world THROUGH us. Doesn't that sound like a crazy plan?! We are His body - His voice, His hands, His feet. WOW! What a wild proposition, God - and what an honor and privilege, and also what a responsibility.

But...

What if you don't feel like you are an important part of the Body of Christ? What if you don't feel like a brain or a heart?

What if you feel like a toe?

Listen to what GOD says in 1 Corinthians 12:

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one body. So it is with the body of Christ...God has put each part JUST WHERE HE WANTS IT...In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary...All of you together are Christ's body, and EACH OF YOU is a part of it."

To sum up:

We are the Body of Christ - made up of MANY PARTS, but UNITED in the person of Jesus.
We REPRESENT God to the world.
Each part of the body has PURPOSE.
No part is insignificant - God has a REASON for everything.
God will use EACH ONE OF US as the unique part of the Body of Christ that He created us to be...

...even if we're just toes!!

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

1 comment:

PeggyOctober 18, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Blessings Sharon, What an honor to share this common experience of TOES and be the first to comment on a very worthwhile blog post comparing a seemingly insignificant part in the body and the Body of Christ functioning together... how we need every part and every function! A toe keeps balance and my, oh, my how we need some balance in the church... I knew how important the hands, arms, head, shoulders, heart, etc.... the major parts and their significance as to the gifts of administration, giving, compassion, etc. yet... needless to say,never considered how very important one's toe or the pain of just a toe can effect the whole...

I'm so sorry that this happened... to you and to me, but a lesson learned and a wonderful spiritual correlation! Thanks for pointing it out... there's hope yet for me... the stubbed toe and bruised ego (eh?)... I'm sure my neighbors had a good laugh watching me. Praise God, not one bad word escaped my mouth.

Bless you for the many, many deep responses to "ABIDING"... some bring tears, some bring such wisdom, and others a bit of JOY and a nod! You are such a delight... but my hour is almost up at the cyber... Love to you and much thanks,
Peggy
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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)

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MY WORD FOR 2016

GRATEFUL

Grateful: feeling or showing thanks to someone for some helpful act; appreciative of benefits received; warmly or deeply thankful; indebted; beholden.

Word origin: 1550's, "pleasing to the mind," also "full of gratitude," from obsolete adj. grate "agreeable, thankful," from Latin gratus "pleasing" – derived from the same word origin as the word "grace."

The trick to changing your behavior is to become more thankful.

The practice of gratitude involves a focus on the present moment, on appreciating your life as it is today and what has made it so.

Let us begin an eternal quest to express in new and creative ways our thanks to God.

So I'm breathing in Your grace,

And I'm breathing out Your praise.

Let our prayers be the overflow of a grateful heart to God.

Three steps in prayer:

PRAISE – praise, reverence, worship, adoration, and awe for who God is and what He does

ASK – honest, earnest, and intense requests

THANK YOU – always end with thanksgiving for everything

Pulpit commentary:

In everything give thanks.

In every circumstance – in joy and in sorrow; for everything – for prosperity and for adversity; in every place – in the house of God and on the bed of sickness.

Christians should not only be engaged in constant prayer, but in constant thanksgiving.

For this – this thankful spirit – is the will of God, His desire.

God by the gift of his Son has laid us under the obligation of perpetual thanksgiving. Our whole lives ought to be one continued thank-offering for all the blessings of redemption.

Gill's Exposition:

Thanks are to be given to him for all things…

For all temporal good things;

for our beings, the preservation of them;

for food and raiment, and all the mercies of life;

for the means of grace, the word and ordinances, and the ministers of the Gospel;

for spiritual blessings, for electing, redeeming, regenerating, adopting, pardoning, justifying, and persevering grace:

for a meetness for heaven, a right unto it, and a good hope of it;

and especially for Jesus Christ, for such a…Saviour, and advocate with the Father, as he is; and for life, peace, joy, comfort, righteousness, and salvation in him.

Thanks should be given to God in every circumstance of life; in adversity, as Job did; when not in so comfortable and agreeable a frame of soul as to be wished for…even under the temptations of Satan…since the grace of God is sufficient to bear up under them, and deliver out of them.

[Give thanks] in afflictions of every kind, since they are all for good – temporal, or spiritual, or eternal.

WHAT IS LOVE?

Love is when you are missing some of your teeth but you're not afraid to smile because you know your friends will still love you even though some of you is missing.

By Emma K. - Age 6

"Out of the mouth of babes..."

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.

Anonymous

When you are uncertain, it helps to have someone remind you what is true – someone who knows you well, who sees you, and keeps track of you – not just your body but your soul.

Emily Freeman

Sharon Sharing God

Thursday, July 22, 2010

EVER FEEL LIKE A TOE?

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