1 Corinthians 12

“But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (HCSB)

Some believe God doesn’t care about your decisions. They feel as long as you are a Christian, you can do whatever you want with your life. Your job, who you marry, how many kids you have…some would say that God shrugs His shoulders and doesn’t care about your choices as long as you’re a good person.

I happen to disagree because the Bible teaches “calling.” Not only does God call people out of the world, inviting them to know Him personally. He also calls each of us to accomplish His purposes on earth. God has a plan, a place, and a purpose for each of us. He calls us to specific places to minister to specific people for specific periods of time.  

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses the fact that God places each one of us in the body of Messiah, just as He wants. It is not up to us to choose whether we will be a hand, a head, a mind, or a heart, as it were. We are created to perform specific functions within the “body” of Messiah. Nobody is unimportant, and none are so important that their personal well-being takes precedence over the body’s well-being as a whole. That is to say, while we need everyone working in their specific roles, nobody is irreplaceable. If an individual ceases to serve the body, the body will suffer, but the Lord can raise up a replacement.  

Try to picture a master jeweler creating an engagement ring. His goal is to showcase the larger diamond at the center of the setting. He surveys a palate of gemstones, determining how and where to place the jewels in the setting. Of course, this is a metaphor, where the center stone represents Jesus. The Jeweler is the Lord. We would be the supporting gems, and the ring itself would be the Gospel. As the engagement ring plays a vital role in a groom’s proposal to his bride-to-be, so the Gospel should be presented with thoughtfulness and diligence to non-believers. How well do you fulfill your role in the greater scheme of presenting Jesus to the lost?  

You may feel like an insignificant chunk of coal, but God sees you as a diamond. As I mentioned earlier, you matter to God. At the same time, you may feel like you should be the center of attention, but that’s Jesus’ job! We each have an important role to play, but it must always be a supporting role. We exist to work within our specific callings, in unity, to glorify God through Jesus.