“He avenges the blood of His children” Deuteronomy 32:43
You know those encounters where you walk away and start thinking of a million different things that you should have said? I had one of those conversations yesterday and it has been haunting me since. I can’t stop thinking about the pain that it caused me. And the worst part is that the anger involved in the situation wasn’t even directed at me! Well, not directly anyway.
It was one of those situations where I was stuck in the middle between two people I greatly respect and admire. I walked away trying to pray about the situation but couldn’t come up with the words. So I just said, “Lord, please take care of this!” And He said, “I just did” meaning me and my conversation with the person. And yet I truly felt like I could have done a much better job of handling the situation if I had said… well… something more than what I said. And yet, now looking back 16 hours later, I don’t think He was talking about this one incidence, not completely anyway. I’m wondering if that conversation was to light a fire under me.
You see the problem was between two children of God. And as I stood there listening to the accusations, SERIOUS accusations being flung from one side to the other (who wasn’t present to defend himself) I stood there in the middle being wounded in order to shield my friend. And I’ve realized that this is precisely what Jesus is doing. He is standing in the middle of a circle of believers of different denominations slinging stones at one another for being who He created them to be only to hit Jesus instead.
My friends, WE ARE HIS BODY, when we cast stones at each other we’re casting them at HIM! And it HURTS HIM!
The other day my son noticed a man we know, who could best be described as a hippie. My son got into our car and announced rather loudly (the car windows were open) “Mommy, that guy is WEIRD!” After slunking down as far into my seat as I could, out of embarrassment, I said to him, “Gabe, don’t say that! He’s just different. And different is good. He is being the man God intended for him to be. He is CERTAINLY not like anyone else we know and that’s a great thing.” He certainly has brought a lot of laughter into our lives that’s for sure. ;)
My point is this, while is it devastatingly important for you to be the YOU God created you to be. It is just as important for the hippie guy to be the hippie guy, the wacky pyromaniac guy to be the wacky pyromaniac guy and the obsessively neat freak lady to be the obsessively neat freak lady. We CAN’T judge and condemn others for being who they are, just like they can’t judge and condemn us for being who we are. 1 Corinthians 12 says:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.”
We are the body, all different parts playing their respective roles. My ear can’t criticize my feet for not listening, just like my heart can’t judge my hands for their inability to pump blood throughout my body. My feet weren’t created to listen they were created to hold me up and take me places. And my hands weren’t created to pump blood they were created to hold my children and fix dinners. We were all created to perform a function specific to us. And NO ONE can criticize us for not performing THEIR specific function instead of our own.
Filed under: 365 Life, Deuteronomy, Writing Through the Bible in a Year
