When the Body Is Attacked

This post this morning has two different levels, the immediate one being that I woke up at about 2AM with a very stuffy feeling, a headache, and the starting of a sore throat. I tried several remedies and managed to make my way through the night but it was not a restful one. There was a time which I would simply cry out to God that He could just take this away if He wanted (it's easy to think you're going through the WORST THING EVER when you're in the middle of it, no matter what it is), but through His grace (and His faithfulness in increasing my humility and my trust in Him) over the past ten years, I was able to pray: "Lord, I ask for your healing power and rest but if your will be for me to endure this I pray you give me the grace to bear it."

So I woke up this morning, somewhat rested, still have a little bit of a sore throat and headache, but grateful to have gotten the sleep I did.

The other meaning this post has this morning is that these are trying times for those I am surrounded by--my father right now is dealing with unemployment, my mother in trying to deal with finances as a result of that, my brother trying to figure out the next big step in his life, a dear church friend who is dealing with a son and his girlfriend who have gone so far in playing "jokes" as to swear out a warrant for her arrest, another church family member who is dealing with cancer, and neighbors who are contemplating ending their marriage.

The "easy" thing to do with those outside one's family is to give in to "bystander effect": someone else will help them. It's not my problem, right? The pastor is better equipped to handle these situations. WRONG! As the Body of Christ, we have been created for interdependence with one another. God's providence has placed you where he has for a reason and if you are presented with an opportunity to minister to a brother or sister in their time of need, even if it's just being there for them.

If you've ever watched one of those nature shows where an animal or group of animals is hunting prey, when are they most successful? When they get one of the herd alone. So too does the Enemy win by making us feel alone, putting such thoughts in our heads like, "those people at church don't care about you, you'll have to deal with this by yourself" or even worse "where is God in your pain?"

But Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 12 how we are all members of the Body, and we each have a function:

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, [5] yet one body.

We all have a function, and we are all members of the Body. Be aware, Christian, of the hurting people around you, and meet them where they are--not in judgment, but in love, building up the Body so that the Word can be proclaimed and God glorified through the restoration of others.