Articles
Everyone Has a Place
Paul wrote, “The body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I
am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not an eye, I
am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the
hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members
every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him” (1 Corinthians 12:14-18).
Every member has a place, but not every place is for every member. The eyes cannot do the work of
the hands, nor can the hands do the work of the eyes. Both of these members are vital for the body.
When one does not function properly, the body becomes less efficient and effective. Members have
to be trained. The feet must learn how to balance the body. The ears must be trained on how to lis-
ten. Each member must understand his or her place and be trained on how to do the work.
No matter who you are, you are needed. Those who greet are just as important as those who teach. If
we do not greet visitors and develop contacts, we will have no one to teach. Those who write cards
are just as important as those who baptize. If we do not show the lost the love of Christ, no one will
desire to follow Christ. Paul said, “The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again
the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem
to be more feeble, are necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).
The church of Christ has one mission: to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Every part of the church is
designed to complete this mission. In fact, God created each member in the body according to His
pleasure of completing it. When parts of the body lose sight of the mission and begin to work inde-
pendently, the entire body suffers. If the hand is not used for a prolonged period, it forgets its place,
loses strength, and deteriorates. When the hand forgets its mission, it can hurt the body. The elders
are working together to make sure every member in the congregation knows his or her place, provid-
ing training on a congregational and individual level to help members find their individual places. The
congregation will grow when everyone is focused on the mission.
As a congregation, our evangelistic efforts offer many opportunities to serve in the kingdom. Shep-
herds and preachers have the responsibility to teach and practice the process. Likewise, each sheep in
Christ’s flock, each part of Christ’s body, each member of Christ’s church has a responsibility to identi-
fy current strengths, develop new ones, and to use those strengths to the glory of Christ. Evangelism
is not passive: prayer without practical application is ineffective, & so is evangelistic teaching without
evangelistic reaching. The human body can reach farthest when the whole body gets involved &
stretches to assist the reach. The same can be said for the Lord’s body: every part is needed for us to
reach all that we can. Are we doing our part?
