Don't

God wants us to use our spiritual gifts (God-given special abilities) to benefit others in the church (body of believers). When we work together, we keep the body strong. When some believers don't pull their weight, others far less gifted in those areas must pitch in. That is the theme of today's devotional reading taken from 1 Corinthians 12:14-27.

The Bible is filled with meaning that sometimes is obscure and hard to understand, but it doesn't have to be. Here we see an illustration of one's individual body to the church.

Lets look at the body, yours, mine. Each part of it - the head, ears, eyes, fingers, toes, arms, you get the picture. Each is useful and necessary for the body to work. When a part is missing, another part has to take over, sometimes not doing as well. Like you lose hearing in one ear; well, you still have the other ear, but it has to work harder. And if you have no hearing, some other part of the body has to come to your aid, such as your eyes reading your lips as they move in speech. We are not all whole. We make the best of what we have.

In the body of believers, i.e., the church, we also make the best of what we have. But people come and people go. Sometimes, absorption with self gets in the way of working for the common goal. I Corinthians 12:5-6 says, "There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us."

Teamwork divides the effort, multiplies the effect.

What we don't want to get caught up in is pettiness, trivial things/happenings that do occur within the body that in turn can cause anxiety and turmoil to individuals and possibly everyone else. It is harmful. What good does it produce? What happened to the common goal? Or is it only your individual goals that matter?

In Pastor Dan's message this past Sunday, "A Study in Avoidance" (2 Timothy 2:14-19), he makes four points that are worth remembering and taking to heart:
Avoid wrangling about words. Stop fighting, avoid contention, strife over things that don't matter, are irrelevant to the bigger picture.
Avoid shameful handling of God's word.
Avoid worldly and empty chatter.
Avoid wickedness.

We are responsible for the truth we are shown and we are all to work together for the good of all. Keep in mind God's word in all you do. It's all about Jesus you know. Remember that. It's not about us.