Created Need

One thing I have been aware and appreciate is the way the Spirit speaks through the Word. A portion of Scripture, that has a theological meaning that is generally accepted, can speak to us in a personal way that is different. This morning as I awakened I was meditating on the body ministry of the church worldwide. This Scripture came to mind. ;Hebrews 10:5 (ESV) 5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me".  I know this means the miraculous birth of Jesus, but I saw also the miraculous moving of the Spirit in creating the Body of Christ of which we are a part. We, as a Body, are the miraculous work of God.
I Corinthians 12:18, 27    18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
The twelfth chapter of First Corinthians is a teaching chapter on the Body of Christ and you can find your place as you study this. We may not have a public ministry but we all have a ministry in Christ.  I love the phrase, Body of Christ.  Christ means “the anointed one.”
As I get older, I find the importance of members of my body that I once took for granted.  I realize the knee has much value in my ability to rise from a seated position to a standing one.  At one time in my life it was the show place for a band-aid.  Maturity in the Spirit gives understanding and appreciation for the placing in the Body and the importance of each member.  I think we have to learn to “use” the other members to appreciate their value. I know I go back and read past posts in the blog that is connected to mine, the indecoblog, the blog by our pastor. I have grown spiritually and find many times the correction I need by contemplating these articles and listening to the sermons that are recorded.  I find the “pull on my reins” from things I read or hear from other members of the Body.  Each time, I go to the Lord for a reality check. Repentance and praise are a way of life for a member of His Body.
But what I want to dwell on this time is the marvelous flow of the Body.  As we respond to the nerve center, the Spirit, bringing the command from the Head, we find different members are called into service. Suddenly, our need for another member comes to the front. We begin to appreciate the anointing on that member as we flow together in doing the purpose of our Head. We cannot say of anyone, I have no need of you. Need primes the flow. People who isolate themselves from others become stagnant. Groups that isolate themselves become stagnant. When the Spirit, who hovers over the whole earth, moves in one place, it is felt in the whole Body. We need what is happening in foreign fields, for even if we do not speak their language, they can minister to us and we to them. The Spirit forms a vast network that unites the Body of Christ.
Just as we learn to walk with the Lord in family relationships, so we learn the meaning of Body ministry in our local church family. Reach out in love, in prayer and faith, and absorb the anointed ministry of each one. Appreciate the smiles, the hugs and the outstretched hand. It is important that each one feels needed and the responsibility to the Body that implies.