We Are The Body…

As I was doing my morning walking this morning, I was listening to my iPod as usual.  And the song “We Are The Body” by Casting Crowns came on.  Whenever I hear this song, I am always so moved.  It makes me aware of how important it is for us to be the eyes, ears, mouth, arms, hands and feet of Jesus.  And how we need to work together as a body to lift one another up and reach out to others. It is too easy to get caught in a rut of everyday things and forget those around us.  But, I have found that when we pour ourselves out to others for Him, the other things in our own life just fall into place.  Here are the lyrics to the song:

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
Jesus is the way

Romans 12:4-8 (NIV) says,, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”  And to coincide with that set of scripture, here is 1 Corinthians 12:12-21 (NIV), “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

One thing I have noticed is that the devil is working harder and harder in thee last days to “mess up” relationships.  Not only between those in the church, but within families.  He knows that he doesn’t have much time to “get his job done”.  But, what he fails to remember is that when the Children of God bind together and encourage one another and pray for one another that mighty things happen.  Chains of sickness, sin, depression and oppression are loosed.  And, God’s spirit begins to flow freely through the lives of those that are binding together.  And when Jesus steps in on the scene and into the midst of the people, you can be assured that His power is going to surge and “Holy Ghost sparks” are going to fly! 

I heard another song that ties up these thoughts well.  Being there for each and allowing the body of the church to work together will just makes us stronger and more effective in striving towards the goal of making a difference in our homes, workplaces and cities.  So, my prayer today is Lord help me to be sensitive to the needs of those around me.  Help me to be there for them.

♫♪Tell me where its hurting
Are you burning?
Running just to catch your breath
And going nowhere
It's getting old when you feel like you got nothing left
Well it ain't over 'til it's over
I told you since the day we met
So let me be the voice through all the noise
Whatever I gotta be
I'll be for you

Whatever you need from me
To see you through
Everyone of us has stumbled
Everybody's humbled

We hit the ground and our lives crumble
Whatever I gotta be
I'll be for you
I'm for you
If you never knew
If you never knew
I'm for you
You know it's true

I know the feeling
I know it's real when the drama's all in your face
You see a mountain
I hear a promise - it's never more than we can take
Well it ain't over, 'til it's over
We can learn from our mistakes
So let me be the voice through all the noise
Everyone of us will fall
Have our backs against the wall
And everyone shares a need to be loved
You've always been for me
So I will be for you
That's just what it means to love
Whatever I gotta be
I'll be for you

I'm for you
If you never knew
If you never knew
I'm for you
You know it's true

Whatever I gotta be
I'll be for you
I'm for you
If you never knew
If you never knew
I'm for you
You know it's true

Everytime you fall, I'll be for you,
If you back's against the wall, I'll be for you,
Cause you've always been for me, I'll be for you,
I'll be for you, I'm for you.
If you never knew,
If you never knew,
I'm for you.

I'm for you, like your for me, like I'm for you…