everyBODY in the BODY

1 Corinthians 12

People have told me all my life "It doesn't matter what other people think, you can make your own decisions." Yes, this is true. I can choose to make decisions completly on my own. I have the ablity to weigh options, examine pros and cons, and make an informed decision on just about any issue. I have the choice of going against the advice of friends, family, and even God. I am naturally a very INdependent person. Key:IN. I was always looking INside myself to find strength and comfort. Putting so much pressure on myself to make the "right" decisions. Convinced that all the answers were IN me. And believe me, if you look IN long enough you lose connection with what is OUTside. You become so independent that it's hard for people to get to you, to know about you. If you don't let them in, they can't hurt you. You are able to keep everyone at arms length. That was my defense, my mechanism for keeping people out and keeping God out. God can't be kept out though.

So when God broke through my independence last fall, I had this new burning desire to be completly dependent on him. I was ready to let Him lead me in all aspects of my life. But when I would experience dry times, times when I wasn't hearing Him clearly, I would revert back to the overly independent me. And I was afraid, almost embarrassed, to talk to my friends about being in a spiritual desert. I just assumed they would think I was slacking, not seeking the Lord with enough effort. This point brings me to 1 Corinthians 12. The body of Christ. I've read this chapter tons of times and I always just assumed "Yeah, we're the body, we gotta work together to further the kingdom here on earth. Each of us has special gifts and purposes. Cool." But something my pastor's wife said the other day shed some new light on this passage. She prayed over me that I would "listen more closely to the body of Christ."

Lightbulb. Being dependent on Christ includes being dependent on the body of Christ. The Lord has surrounded me with people of great faith. They are here to help me. He speaks through them when I can't hear Him clearly. So, I shouldn't be embarrased to ask for their advice. I should want to ask them what they think when Im considering plans for the future, what to do in a tough situation, or even what they think about someone I'm considering dating. I should listen to their opinions and factor them into my decision making. Doing that doesn't mean I don't have a mind of my own. It's just another form of God speaking to me. And if God's speaking, I want to listen.