Head to Toe

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Based on “Gel and Flow Together – Everyone Is Needed” by Pastor Mark Balmer;
7/31-8/01/10, Message #6057; Daily Devotional #2 - “Head to Toe”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Think for a moment about your body. Many of the parts come in pairs, such as your eyes, ears, arms, and legs; and then there are other parts that stand alone such as your nose, liver, and mouth. Why do you suppose this is? One main reason is so that when every part works together in unity, the body fulfills its purpose; if one part is injured, then the other parts instinctively compensate. Yet, when the primary components fail, such as the brain and heart, the entire body will cease to function.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): From the beginning (Genesis 2:18) to the end (Revelation 21:3) of the Bible, we see how God’s design was for unity and companionship. Look back through the stories of the Old and New Testaments and you will find work being done in pairs. Going into Noah’s ark, the animals were in pairs; going out to share the Gospel, the disciples were sent two by two (Luke 10:1). Why do you suppose this is? The Apostle Paul clearly taught that our attitudes should be the same as Jesus’ (Philippians 2:5). And what was His attitude? It was that He humbled Himself before God, taking on the nature of a servant, that God would receive all the glory for everything He did (Philippians 2:6-11). How does your attitude compare? In a world of dog-eat-dog, it can be easy to get caught up in our selfish natures as we try to make something of our lives. The thing is, no matter how much effort we put into gaining ground on our neighbor, we really end up on the losing end when we strive to be at the top (James 4:1-2). We are hard-wired to fulfill our own needs first, so Paul reminds us: …Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3) Until we come to the knowledge of Christ, we cannot break out of the mold the world has us in. It’s at that moment that our internal mindset is shifted to an external outlook. Jesus was deity in human form, yet chose to submit to the Father out of reverence and love. He came to show the world how to serve one another (Mark 10:45) and to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): When we choose to walk with the Lord, we become part of His family, otherwise known as the ‘body of Christ’. Think again about your body and how it operates. There is one head and many other parts that all have a significant design and function. Jesus is the head, and we are all the other parts. When we work in unity, the body flows smoothly together, yet when there is discord, the body suffers pain. The purpose of the body is to build up the kingdom of God. While doing so, we are strengthened and encouraged by His love and the love of others – the reciprocation of us following the simple command He gave us – to love Him and love others (Luke 10:27). If Jesus is our primary focus, we will fulfill the purpose for which He has called us. Each person in the body is needed – not one is more or less important. If we are the body, we must be reaching out to tell the world that Jesus is the way (John 14:6). From head to toe we are designed by God and for God so that He receives the honor and glory for everything that we do.