As I reflected on Romans 12:4–5 one day, I was reminded of what I hear often while doing Pilates, “Engage your entire body.” You see, you and I are part of a whole in the body of Christ (that is the Christian community). God gifted us with talents and purposes that are uniquely ours and function to fulfill His ultimate plan for the world. The Passion Bible translates Romans 12:5 this way: “We are all vitally joined to one another, with each contributing to the others.” We were created to work together, just like the human body. We are interconnected and therefore, need one another to fulfill the vital role God created us for. Engaging all our muscles while exercising makes the workout more effective, helps stabilize the body, and increases our overall strength by activating the whole rather than isolating one muscle group. God showed me an important lesson that day as I contemplated the simile. When we engage the body of Christ in our daily lives, we too become more effective, stable, and strong.
Iron Sharpens Iron
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17 NASB)
When we come together as a community we are more effective in all we do. We learn from one another as we share what God is speaking to our hearts and doing in our lives. We can pray for one another. We can encourage each other in our callings and hold each other accountable. We are better together.
A Helping Hand
I can’t help but get emotional as I read the Bible story of Aaron and Hur, and ponder this powerful portrayal of our need for one another. Here’s a quick summary of Exodus 17. The prophet Moses and the Israelites he led out of slavery from under Pharaoh are in the wilderness going into battle with the Amalekites. Moses and his companions, Aaron, and Hur go to the top of a hill. On that hill, as long as Moses kept his staff raised, Israel prevailed. But Moses becomes weary as you can imagine. So “Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set” (Exod 17:12 NASB). The support of these two men helped lead an entire nation to victory! We need our Christian community to stabilize us when we become weary. We were not meant to walk through life alone.
The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength
You may be familiar with Nehemiah 8:10 that says, “For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” I love this scripture. This verse was spoken by a scribe and priest named Ezra at the beginning of one of the Jewish feasts. The Israelites were experiencing great sorrow as they mourned over their sins, but Ezra told the Israelites to go and celebrate because “the joy of the LORD is their strength.” The kind of joy that gives us strength is an internal state of being that comes from God alone. But sometimes, in difficult seasons, we need godly people to remind us to celebrate and praise the Lord for all He has done in the midst of our sorrow, and rejoice in the hope that He gives us. That joy can give us the strength to conquer another day!
We Need Each Other
If you find yourself disconnected with others, I encourage you to take the necessary steps to engage the body of Christ. Start by reaching out to your church small groups or visit ICM’s Connect page here to find ways to connect. You were created to function as part of a whole body, not to operate in isolation. If you want an effective, stable, and strong spiritual life, Christian community is vital!
Scripture for Contemplation
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
1 Peter 4:10
We would love to hear from you! How do you see this concept becoming part of your community?