1 Corinthians 12:21,27 – 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!" Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (NIV)

Occasionally, my daughter volunteers her time at a particular nursing home in our area. She enjoys interacting with some of the residents and getting to know a little about their lives. One man likes putting together large jigsaw puzzles for the purpose of giving them away as gifts. The last time my daughter saw him, his puzzle was almost completed — except the last piece was missing. The result was an empty space right in the middle of a beautiful picture. At this, the resident became very upset and kept repeating, "Nobody's gonna want that now!"

I could not help but feel sorry for this poor, elderly man who had put so much time and effort into something he felt was important. It was his way of giving to others; yet, an imperfect gift would not be acceptable. Only one more piece was all he needed; only one more piece would have made his picture perfect.

Looking at it from a spiritual standpoint, the body of Christ can be compared to that man's puzzle, with each piece depicting an individual member of the church. Once the puzzle is completed, the pieces will have been connected to form a beautiful picture of our Saviour. However, an empty space needs a supporting ligament before it can strengthen the body. Thus, if one member is missing, the whole church is affected.

Interestingly, the apostle Paul has described the church as a living organism, as opposed to an organization. As Christians, we are all responsible for the health and well-being of Christ's body in this world. Consequently, the Word of God encourages us to use our spiritual gifts.

Now it is time to complete the puzzle. Let none of us leave an empty space in the congregation, lest we hurt Christ's ministry.

Prayer: Dear Lord, empower Your church to present a beautiful picture of Yourself to an unbelieving world. Fill every empty space with the revival of Your Spirit, and permit all members of Your body to be joined together in perfect harmony, according to Your will. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lori Ciccanti <dlalsina@mchsi.com>
Ocean View, Delaware, USA
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