You Matter to the Body of Christ

As an elementary school teacher, I knew each student had a need for significance. Feeling they were important in my classroom made a big impact on their motivation to succeed academically. With twenty-five children in one room, I knew it was all too easy for the quiet ones to fall through the cracks. So every day, I tried to make sure each child knew that I saw them. I’d remember to ask about their new puppy, their soccer game, or other interests they had previously shared with me. Sometimes I would simply make eye contact and give them a wink while teaching, or pat them on the shoulder as I passed their desk. I wanted them to understand they mattered to me.

We received that kind of significance from God at the time we believed in Jesus. Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit gifted each of us with a special, supernatural ability to be utilized in the church. Those abilities vary widely from person to person and are not given as a merit reward, but through the grace of God. Each person matters: every gift is necessary to the body. Together we are complete.

We do not choose our gifts. The Holy Spirit does, in keeping with his master plan and purposes (see 1 Cor. 12:11). Our particular gifts are given according to his will, his wisdom, and his goodness.

We were designed to need each other. There was a well-known fable in the first century told by Agrippa Menius. The various parts of a body decided that while they were working hard, the stomach was not doing anything for them. They decided to starve the stomach to be rid of it for good. But it wasn’t long before malnourishment began to affect them all. Realizing their folly, they now understood that the stomach not only had an important purpose, but that none of them could function without it.

God designed the church to function as a body. Each member has a valuable contribution to make, vital to the health of the group. Paul wrote, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’ . . . But God has so composed the body . . . that there may be no division but that the parts may have the same care for one another” (1 Cor. 12:21, 24-25 NASB). The body of Christ is the ultimate team, where many operate as one toward a common goal. No one person is to be regarded above the rest.

It is important to note that those special abilities aren’t really about us at all. Paul clarified that “To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7 NASB, emphasis mine). Every gift is for the edification and building up of the other individuals in the body. They are there for the benefit of those we serve. While we are significant, our function is no more important than anyone else’s. We are here for each other so that the glory can be given to God alone.

The church Paul was addressing had issues. In 1 Corinthians, he outlined several symptoms of division in the body. People were claiming allegiance with one preacher over another in an attempt to gain spiritual clout. People were taking each other to court over personal issues. The Haves were eating the fellowship meal before the Have-Nots could get there. Even the spiritual gifts had been ranked in importance: those who spoke in tongues were deemed more important than the rest.

Their unequal relationships were undermining the purposes and unity necessary to bring glory to God (and not to them as individuals).

Why is all this important to us today? Each of us has been gifted. Each of us is of equal significance to the body of Christ.

You matter.

In fact, according to Paul, the members of the body should be so closely bonded, that is one member suffers, the others will suffer along with them. If one member is honored, the others will celebrate with joy (see 1 Cor. 12:26). There is no room for jealousy or competition within the body of Christ. There is no precedence for any individual viewing themselves as more important than others. The only head in the church is Christ.

Paul’s words are relevant today. There are a number of ways the twenty-first-century church is not treating individuals equally. We still struggle to value everyone’s contributions. This is plainly seen in our issues with race, gender, and status.

For instance, there are many women afraid to exercise their spiritual gifts within the church. Those fears are not unfounded; many women who cross traditional interpretations of Scripture have been shamed publicly or privately. A large portion of the evangelical church is keeping many Holy Spirit-endowed women under its thumb.

Paul would not have approved of our situation. He didn’t view any ministry, whether performed by women or men, as more or less important than others. His priority was that the entire church, men and women alike, would submit to each other and operate in love (see Eph. 5:21). There are several lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testaments. None of the lists are exhaustive, as they widely differ from each other. None of the gifts are qualified by gender. Given the inclusive nature of Paul’s writing, if there were gender restrictions on any of the gifts, they surely would have been mentioned. (If you are wondering about 1 Timothy 2:12, consider the context in which it was written as well as the purpose for that letter.)

Bottom line: if we limit women from their spiritual calling, we are handicapping the church. We would be trying to walk on one leg, when we were given two.

Every person, regardless of gender, has a significant role in the body of Christ.

Imagine what could happen in the world if every one of us in the church were encouraged to use their gifts for God’s glory. It is the way God designed us to operate; every member contributing, every member significant to the body, each submitting to the other as Paul called us to do.

Disputes or division will disappear when we work as a team toward a common goal. That means supporting each other in the responsibilities we are called to fulfill.

When we yield to the Spirit, the church will be transformed.

Julie Zine Coleman is a long-time writer and speaker. She holds a Masters in Biblical Studies from Capital Bible Seminary and is a member of the Pulpit Team at New Hope Chapel in Arnold, MD. Her latest book, On Purpose: Understanding God’s Freedom for Women (Kregel Publications) has just been released. You can find more about Julie’s ministry at JulieZineColeman.com.