"But God has so composed the
Body, giving more abundant
honor to that member which
lacked, so that there may be
no division in the Body, but
that the members may have
the same care for one
another. . .Now you are
Christ’s Body, and
individually members of it."
1 Corinthians 12:24-27
Anyone who knows me well
understands that I love to
observe the marvelous
workings of nature. I am
always checking the High
Definition Channels for any
new program about how
animals or insects live. My
favorites are those showing
the daily activities of the
smallest of insects. King
Solomon once wrote,- "Go
to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be
wise." (Prov. 6:6)
Ants are among those I
admire most. They are so
small and seem so
insignificant individually
but together working as one,
they accomplish amazing
things. There are so many
different species of ants
each with specialized habits
and abilities. Some prey on
other insects for food, some
grow their own gardens and
still others keep and herd
smaller insects much like a
farmer keeps cows for milk.
One species feed only on
honeydew produced by aphids.
These ants protect the
aphids from predators, carry
them to safety during bad
weather and provide them
with choice feeding grounds.
In each ant colony there are
a variety of jobs that must
be done. Some specialize in
tending to the young, some
serve the Queen, some scout,
some gather and some guard
the colony. Each type
possesses unique traits
which give them the ability
to carry out their specific
assignment.
The film makers of these
programs go to great lengths
to capture only the best
video. Sometimes as I watch
the incredible filming of
the daily life in an ant
colony I think to myself,- "Solomon
never had the privilege to
observe the ant so close up
and revealing as I can from
the comfort of my living
room." If
God cares so much for the
ant to bless it with so many
special gifts then surely He
has not withheld any
meaningful gift from man.
Virtually every gift which
has been bestowed upon man
is designed for serving
others. The possible
exception may be the gift of
praying in tongues which
builds and edifies the one
who possesses it. However,
when anyone in the Body of
Christ is edified and
strengthened the rest of the
Body benefits.
It truly is a thing of
beauty to see many become one to
accomplish great feats
whether it is the smallest
of insects or man who has
been crowned with dominion
over all the earth. The
ancient cry"All for one.
. .One for all" rings
true for the pursuit of
unity and the proper working
of the Body of Christ. The
Bible says that God has
placed each member in the
Body as He has desired and
has given spiritual gifts to
them all. (1 Cor.12:18)
The greatest gift that God
has placed in the Church is
leadership. The Church and
the Work of God cannot go
forward without faithful
leadership. Jesus was moved
by compassion as He looked
out over the children of
Israel and saw that they
were like "sheep
without a shepherd."(Matt.9:36)
It was not His will that
God’s children should be
without a shepherd to care
for and lead them. A
Pastor is there to see the
big picture and manage the
Household of God. He does
not lord over the Heritage
of God but serves them by
orchestrating the proper use
of the gifts placed in the
Body.
