Be Someone in 2021

TEXT:

‘Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the “body” of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 12:12 TLB)

THOUGHT:

For twelve years from November 2000, I worked for a healthcare company that started the New Year with a six day European Convention, held in a very nice hotel somewhere a lot warmer than the UK. The company made up a slogan to inspire and maintain sales during the year. “Dare to do more in 2004” and “Double your drive in 2005” were a couple I remember.

January is a good time to decide how you will function as a Christian throughout the year. The Apostle Paul taught the Corinthian church the importance of realising all Christians make up just one body – Christ. He also emphasised the role that each Christian should play and be the person God has created them to be. There are three things I want to emphasise from our text and the passage it is taken from.

• Christians are identical before and after conversion

Although we are all different, in God’s eyes we are all the same in two ways.

1. Concerning Sin

The Bible says, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’¹ ‘There is none righteous, no not one.’² That means we are all sinners and all need to repent to be saved.

2. Concerning Righteousness

No one is more righteous than anyone else. In response to our faith in Jesus, we are given the gift of righteousness. We cannot earn it by doing good works; we can only receive it as a free gift.³ We will never be any more righteous in God’s eyes than the day we got saved and were born again, but obviously we can let our light shine more brightly the longer we are a Christian.

• Christians should be functional within their church and community

This is where we differ from each other, for we do not all have the same talents, desires and abilities. Our natural body is made up of many different parts, yet it is one body. Each part is inter-dependent and cannot exist on its own. Within the church different personalities are suited to different roles and the “Square peg in a round hole” syndrome should be avoided at all costs.

Christians can end up over-burdened and overwhelmed trying to compensate for those who do not function as they should. A person who goes blind cannot rely on sight anymore, so other parts of the body have to take on a different role to compensate. The hands can never see but they can feel things and ears become much more sensitive to sounds that help guide and warn.

When Christians shy away from an active role within their church, or are indifferent to the need, others have to take on more than they should to ensure everything gets done. Sometimes it may be better to simply say no to a greater work load than to end up with a breakdown, although it can be hard to do that.

Church leaders can help by creating an atmosphere in their churches where every member feels needed and is given opportunity to function, rather than everything being done by a select few!

• Christians need the motivational power of God’s love – ‘For the love of Christ puts us into action’ (2 Corinthians 5:14 NLV)

Immediately after Paul wrote about every member functioning within the church, he revealed the best motive to do it with – love.⁴ Love will ensure we are active and not indifferent. Love will help us to do the right thing with the right motives. Love takes us from being dependent on others to being a blessing to others, from wanting to be served to serving others with humility.

There is not a better description of love anywhere else in the Bible. The challenge is to let that love flow into and out from our lives. Meditate on the following verses for a few minutes.

‘Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love goes on forever’                             (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 TLB)

So, be someone in 2021 and that someone to be is the real you. Every person is a unique creation, distinguished by fingerprints, voice, eyes and DNA. In spite of the pandemic (which will not last forever), there is a role for you to fulfil. Will you be that someone?

Endnotes:

¹ Romans 3:23             ² Romans 3:10             ³ Ephesians 2:8-9         ⁴ 1 Corinthians 13:1-13