The Body of Christ

As the body of Christ, we are part of a global and local community. I present to you three tactics that I believe will equip you to play your role in the body of Christ.

Who knows that we are at war? We are at war and we have an adversary whose mission is to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. Are you a member of the Lord’s army? If you are, then you know you have a role to play.

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For the body does not consist of one member but of many… That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 25-26

One Team One Fight

There is a saying in the Marine Corps that goes the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf. This demonstrates the relationship between individual operators and the entire team. This applies to our personal life as much as it does the battlefield. We can rely on our team but also our team relies on us. We all have different capabilities and specialisations that we bring to a team. Although one person might specialize in a specific skill, it doesn’t mean that they are any better of an operator than someone with a less desirable skill.

The same is true within the body of Christ. We have different roles and every role is important. Every position should support each other as we work together towards the same mission. Some roles may be less desirable than others, but it doesn’t make them any less important. We are all enlisted in serving the kingdom but do you know what your individual role is as a member of the Lord’s army and how your role affects your teammates?

We are all enlisted in serving the kingdom but do you know what your individual role is as a member of the Lord's army and how your role affects your teammates? Share on X

It Takes Two

You cannot do life alone. You cannot go into your new season of life, spiritually, alone. Have you heard of the lone wolf mentality? I don’t need anyone, I am a self-made man, and I can do it on my own. Not only is this an arrogant way to live, it is also miserable. You get to the end of your life probably alone and addicted because you lived a life of isolation, angry, and bitter. There is something special about having a community of believers you can draw from. Are you tired of going into a season and getting hurt, shot in the back and going from one bad financial decision and broken relationship to the next? Whereas, if we involve some of our leaders and mentors into the issue, we could get a different perspective and perhaps a different outcome.

There is a saying that goes if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. The distance you go will be determined by the community you surround yourself with. The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it is community. That should tell you how important community is.

Isolation is the breeding ground of addiction. Share on X

Isolation and Solitude

Isolation is the breeding ground of addiction. There is a difference between solitude and isolation. A team needs to be healthy at the individual level or it will be spread too thin and eventually break. We all have blind spots that we cannot control. What is hiding in the dark corners of your life that you cannot see? Pride will tell you you can do it alone. Don’t be the prideful lone wolf.

“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:6-8

Pride will tell you that you can do it alone; don't be a prideful lone wolf. Share on X

In the military, as well as the Lord’s army, when you are stationed somewhere, that is where you are being trained and equipped to go out and face your enemy. Some might say well that’s great but I’m burned out and exhausted; I don’t feel like facing my enemy let alone training. That is understandable. Very often even Jesus would withdraw for times of refreshing. Jesus intentionally withdrew but He always returned back to His community. Solitude doesn’t make you a lone wolf; solitude is intentional withdrawal. The difference between solitude and isolation is the intentionality of solitude versus the escape of isolation.

Give No Place To Division Or Offence

A lot of people look for fulfillment in their different roles in the body of Christ – often in the identity of a title. I want to encourage you, that your place is not the worship leader, team leader, or ministry team position. Your place is the secret place which is often behind closed doors. That is where most of the intense battles are fought – where you are unseen, crying out to God. Do not belittle your place when you are unseen in the shadows. Your fulfilment is not in your titles. Feast on His goodness and you will not starve; taste and see that the Lord is good.

Are you somebody else’s brother or sister in the church? Do you have somebody’s back covered, or are you going into places alone that you shouldn’t? Does somebody have your back? There are some places that we are not meant to go alone.

The Community Of Christ

In the body of Christ, some of us are hurting each other. Some assignments may be done differently than yours but it doesn’t mean necessarily that their way is wrong as long as it doesn’t go against the Word of God. God created you for a purpose; don’t try to do somebody else’s assignment that you were never called to.

God gave you gifts. If you neglect your gifts are go and pick out somebody else in their area, you just dropped the team security. Your team needs you. Some things are different within culture. I believe Jesus spitting on the mud to heal the man of blindness wouldn’t have been a welcomed method even though it worked and the man was healed. I am not saying we are not to rebuke but there are ways and wisdom of how to go about things. Most things we disagree on are not worth the division in the body. We all have our own issues and are all in need of a Savior. Extending some grace goes a long way. We are not the body of our local church, mega church, or brand, we are the body of Christ.

“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12

A leader needs to lead his team and he needs to allow other leaders to lead theirs. Apostle Paul encouraged us to follow him as he followed Christ. If you are in a season of following, perhaps in an unseen role, be the best follower you can be; be faithful in small things and you will be entrusted with much.

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