(So one of my classes is Team Ministry, and one of the assignments is to write a 10 minute devotion that would be used in a team setting. I thought I’d share. And I pray that you are able to use it, or at the least are strengthened by it.)
1 Corinthians 12:14-20:
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
Bodies are amazing. God has created some pretty amazing things when he created them. They work amazingly together; even for simple tasks like your brain responding to the nerves in your epidermal layer by telling the nerves and muscles in your hand and arm to scratch an itch under your nose.
1) How many parts of the body are listed in the text?
- What makes them different?
2) On a piece of paper write down what makes you different or unique from the other members of this ministry team?
Every part of your body, every cell, is important to the overall function of the body. The Terminologica Anatomica lists over 7,500 named parts of the human body. And each will be missed if they are not there. Sometimes it’s easy to feel insignificant or unimportant; that if you were gone, you wouldn’t be missed. And it’s just as easy to feel too significant or important; that if you were gone, the whole ministry would fall to pieces. Neither of these is the right attitude to have.
3) Touch your left ear if you’ve ever had either of these attitudes.
The Pareto Principle or Law (A.K.A. The 80/20 Rule) is that 20% of something is always responsible for 80% of the results. It teaches that usually in an organization 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people (the same could be true in any arena). This is an unhealthy distribution of labor, and easily leads to burnout and possibly to the death of an organization. Could you imagine this ministry, your home, or your body only running on 20% of its resources and power? It wouldn’t last long would it? This is a result of sin, which rears its head in various forms and places within the culture of an organization in this fallen world…even within Christ’s Body (the church).
This “cultural norm” needs to be un-normed. We need to be more counter-cultural. Thanks to Christ and his grace and mercy, we are a part of his body. He chose us. And when the various parts of the body submit their wills to that of the head, it begins to work properly, the way it was meant to. Thankfully, you and I are forgiven. You are a new creation because of Christ. Jesus heals not only our relationship with him but also our relationship to the rest of the body. You are integral part of his body, and this ministry team.
4) What is a job or task that you enjoy more than anyone else in your family? On this ministry team?
5) On a piece of paper draw the part of a body you would be. Be ready to explain why?
6) How has God arranged the members of this body, this ministry team?
- How does this ministry team support you and help you achieve your best?
- How do you support the ministry team and help it to achieve its best?
7) Take the time this week to write a thank you card to two different people on your ministry team.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we thank and praise you for making each of us in an amazing way with unique gifts and abilities. We’re sorry when we think to lowly or highly of ourselves. And we’re sorry for being detractors of your work. Remind us of Christ and how he has chosen and incorporated us into his body, and how we are here to help his body grow in number, strength, and ability. Thank you for many ways that you unite us in love, fellowship, and service. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Cup Overflowing 