It was one rainy day. In fact, it was more than rainy. It was a storm. The winds were blowing fiercely. The rains were descending in sheets. Thunder roared. And lightening was flashing. There were just a few people in the Officer’s Club. An Army Chaplain and two officer’s wives were watching the storm through the big picture window.
Suddenly, through a flash of lightning, one of the women saw a solider standing outside on guard duty totally at the mercy of the raging storm. The Chaplain then overheard this exchange from the women.
“Oh dear”, the first lady said, “Look at the poor solider out there in the storm.”
The other woman caustically replied, “My dear, it’s perfectly alright. He’s only a private.”
Some people view others in this world with the “he’s only” attitude. “He’s only a janitor.” “She’s only a housewife.” “He’s only clerk.” “She’s only a secretary.” It’s an attitude that views one’s self as superior, and others as less important. Less valuable. Less essential. It’s an attitude than should not be prevalent among God’s people. Unfortunately, sometimes it is.
Paul debunked this notion when he wrote, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Rom 12:4-5)
God has called us to belong. To belong to Him. To belong to the Body. To belong to the Family. To belong to one another.
In yesterday’s post, we observed that the Jerusalem Christians regarded their relationship like family members. They were brothers and sisters. In Acts 2:42-47 we see them eating together from house to house, sharing together and helping each other in time of need. There was a sense of belonging.
There are many commands in the New Testament that speaks to what it really means to belong with the expression “one another.” We are to accept one another. Care for one another. Be a blessing to one another. Confess our sins to one another. Serve one another. Be devoted to one another. Bear One another’s burdens. Comfort one another. Forgive one another.
On the negative side we are warned not to bite and devour one another. And all one another exhortations can be summed in one word—love. Because we belong to another in the same body. The same Family. The same blood bought relationship with Christ. Therefore, we love one another.
The way of Christ is the “One Another Way.” In both the analogy of the body and the family, each member has a function, a role, and a responsibility to the other members. Each person is important. All are valuable. There should never an attitude toward fellow Christians “he’s only a private.” All of us are soldiers marching together under the banner of our Commander-in-Chief.
A proper functioning church family will have many members contributing to it’s success in different ways based on each person’s gifts. But it takes time, talent, and energy. It requires walking the one another way. Working to build relationships. Accepting responsibility to “edify one another” and “encourage one another. And participating in “fellowship with one another.”
The Family of Christ is strengthened when Christian do more they believe. They belong. Feel a sense of belonging. And find their place to belong.
—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
ThePreachersWord 
It amazes me that so many want to be recognized as a part of the body, but will do nothing to help it move. If the local church is a group of people functioning as a body (and they should) then each member should realize that whatever action (or lack of) is done, it affects the whole body. When I type, the fingers are functioning, but the rest of the body is aware of it, and are affected.
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Ken,
Great stuff. I don’t say thanks often enough. So, “mega dittoes,” Ken.
Jesus practiced what you and Tommy preached today.
Consider the case of Zacchaeus. The publicly hated, short, little “sinner” was not among the righteous and beloved in the throng. Yet, did Jesus go home with the “chief” of the Pharisees, or another wealthy man? No, he went home with the hated, despised, short “sinner.”
If Jesus came to KC or to Cookeville, he would not go home with the elders at the Jerry Whitson church here, nor with you and Norma. No, he would go home with another Zacchaeus-like sinner, a member of the church.
Glad you are five feet, nineteen inches! Me? I’m short….
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Thank you so much, Larry! I appreciate your encouragement and kind words. And your insightful and accurate commentary. Thanks!
Ken Weliever 400 NW Highcliffe Dr Lee’s Summit, MO 64081 Home Phone: 816-600-5001 Cell Phone: 813-507-1726 Church Office: 816-761-2659 preacherman@weliever.net web site: http://www.weliever.net/ blog: http://www.thepreachersword.com/ Church web site: http://hickmanchurch.com/
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