If you've been following Jesus for any length of time, you have likely read or even studied 1 Corinthians 12:14-26. Here it is in the ESV translation:
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 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. 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. 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? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 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, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
For the past four years, I've been trying to be a face. I'm not a face. God did not design me to be the spokesperson. I was not created with much capacity to ignore the lights, the stage, or the cameras and just seek Him. God did not knit me together to network, engage strangers, or excel at public relations. In fact, spokespeople and leaders (the faces and heads of the Body) should be comfortable with casual conversation about the mission and vision of their work. There is nothing casual about my ability to chat with people and quickly build relationships in order to influence others. It's down-right awkward.
Yet, I've been trying to do just that. I had fallen into the enemy's trap, believing there are some parts of the Body more important than others. I believed I had to be the face (of my book, of the ministries I serve, etc.) in order to be successful. As Scripture says, God arranged us as parts of a whole Body, and if we aren't content in our part or focusing on our own purpose, the whole Body suffers.
I was created as a leg. My greatest gifting is supporting the rest of the Body, giving each of the other parts the strength to stand on. As a leg, I'm versatile. I run with speed and accomplish tasks and goals quickly. (Just ask all the managers and co-workers I've had the honor of working with over the years.) I can become powerfully active in an instant. I can and do flex my muscles when needed but am just as effective standing in one place, in a moment of time, and supporting the Body in it's current place. Then, I make the Body mobile again, moving the vision of the head and the message of the face forward through supporting their work. One former business owner described me as a "Catalyzing Organizer," meaning I can take information from all different areas and wrap it all together to create a final product that moves the company forward. When I'm being a leg, I'm uncomfortably comfortable.
Even in difficult circumstances, I'm not one to sit around. As a leg, I'm tasked with either keeping the Body standing strong in the face of adversity or propelling it forward, moving It into new territory. I'm strong in my faith. Mobility and strength - those are my areas of expertise.
God definitely made me a leg and not a face. God also creates ears to hear, people who can listen with empathy to others' struggles and provide sound godly advice. God makes eyes to see the disparities of this world and do something to change them. God births full hearts to love the unloveable and reach the lost. God makes compassionate arms to show affection (that's you, you crazy hug-loving people). He makes strong shoulders to carry the burdens of the face and head, giving them support and connecting them to the mercy of the arms. God makes feet to provide the Body with the perfect balance of flexibility and stability, and to keep the legs (me!) from stumbling. God makes hands to heal, build, and create. Are you called to create (perhaps a musician or artist?)? God creates lungs to breath the Holy Spirit into the Body's endeavors. The brains are the spiritual intellects. Some of the most notable are C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, and Saint Augustine. Are you this generation's brain? God makes lips to speak truth when others are spreading lies. He makes knees; you are the prayer warriors of the Body. He designs fingers to do the fine work of spiritual surgery and to leave God's thumbprint on His work. He makes noses, those able to sniff out the good fruit from the bad. The noses' gift is discernment. Are you noses using it? Yes, God makes rear ends, too. They remind us of the Sabbath, to force the Body to sit, rest, and reflect.
What part of the Body has God created you to be and are you fulfilling your divine function? Or, like I, have you been dreaming of being another part - one that you have designated as "important," "prestigious," or even "fun," not realizing you're negatively affecting the whole? I was chasing things I had no business chasing. I was a leg running after a face rather than running after God's will for me. I'm learning to be content in all things ... including the part God designed me to be.
PS:
If you ARE a face, please contact me. I'd like help promoting my story. HA HA!
Cortney's book, Clay Jar, Cracked: When We're Broken But Not Shattered is available now on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and other retailers, as well as at www.cortneydonelson.com! Visit www.cortneydonelson.com for more information and to learn about the "I'm a Clay Jar" Encourager Class for groups! To schedule speaking engagements, please email Cortney directly.
Influenced by 1 Corinthians 12, Hebrews 13:5, my love and knowledge of the human body, my story as told in the book Clay Jar, Cracked, and my prayer life.
©2012-2017 Cortney Donelson. All rights reserved.
Cortney's book, Clay Jar, Cracked: When We're Broken But Not Shattered is available now on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and other retailers, as well as at www.cortneydonelson.com! Visit www.cortneydonelson.com for more information and to learn about the "I'm a Clay Jar" Encourager Class for groups! To schedule speaking engagements, please email Cortney directly.
