27-31 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his “body”:
apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, organizers, those who pray in tongues.
But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts.
1 Corinthians 12 17-31, The Message
Paul finishes the question raised by the church in Corinth about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit. I think he is saying that as we understand our “part” in the “whole”, we experience completeness. I saw the doctor today and he said that if they do a certain procedure, I will feel normal and whole again. What does that mean? It can’t mean I’ll feel 20 years old again! It can’t mean I’ll no longer struggle with being overweight. I will never be an Olympian or a winner of AGT. I think he is speaking to the wholeness or completeness of a body not compromised by illness. In the same way Paul is saying that as we grow in understanding our part in the Body of Christ, we experience a sense of optimizing not only our own talent but we also experience the joy of being a contributing part of a whole process that glorifies God, It seems to me that as we grow in using our spiritual gifts, we grow in a sense of completeness and wholeness, as we center our lives on his Spirit in us. The people that pass through our lives and the events of our lives are not random but meaningful and we contribute to a better world. I pray that is so. Today is in God’s hands to bless us and to bless other’s through us, even on those tough days! Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 