August 14, Body Duty

Today’s reading: Psalms 66-70

“Lord, the Lord Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me” - Psalm 69:6.

The psalmist was once again in trouble, this time he had water up to his neck and it was rising! While David was praying and crying out for help, he had an interesting request. He was not simply asking that he be delivered. He asked that he be spared for the sake of his fellow believers. You are connected to other people if you put your hope in the Lord. That makes you part of a body and therefore not free to do what you want, for you are joined to them. When one part is in pain, it affects all, and the same is true if one part is doing well. You may not like being a part of a body, you may not like what the body is doing, but you cannot escape the fact that you are part, and when one part is disgraced, it has implications for all. Paul developed the metaphor of the believers being part of a body and explained,

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (1 Corinthians 12:24b-26).

Are you cognizant of your place in the body of Christ? Do you see your responsibility to contribute to body health and well-being? How are you fulfilling that duty?