Puzzle

I haven't written in a while.

The days have been long, and over full in many ways. I have been wanting to write this for weeks now... and here it is, a moment carved out to write this down.

It was over a month ago, when we gathered together at church. Once a year we do this thing called "Leadership Team Retreat". It is a time... of reflecting... a time for looking ahead. A time to sit and hear the voice of God... a time to sit and hear the voice of the body.

And one question that was asked... 

What is the Body of Christ?

This gave time for deep thought. The body is lead by the Holy Spirit, the body of Christ is the bide to Christ. We come together, to sharpen each other. We go out, built up in Christ because we are together One. 

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron, 

So one man sharpens another.

If you leave, and are not sharpened... you are unprepared for what you face. Lone rangers, they never fare well. 

And the body is all of these things indeed. 

But I dug deeper... deeper into the "need" for man to come together. The need to be perfectly fit together, just as Christ created us. Each with unique spiritual gifts that interlock in a way that make us whole when we are together. But- when not interlocked- we seem so unfulfilled... so... lost at times.

And a picture was drawn clearly in my head. 

How we are a picture of beauty when we are together. Whole... complete. complimenting each other... like this puzzle.

He sees us this way you know?

Interlocked

functioning together in His will.

A beautiful picture.

How often do we look like this in our body?

Each wanting to be top, knowing best.

Not wanting to connect... 

For fear that someone might have a revelation that is too much to bear...

For fear that we might have to connect in a way that is intimate...

We who know no listening or submitting, know not the beauty we miss out on being one in community.

Ephesians 5:18ff

be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

but there we stand, 

Stacked on top of one another

Refusing to link arms

looking for blame

Allowing hurt to guide our heart instead of Christ being the center of connection between all of our great strengths. 

Then I think... so many times we look like this. 

Wondering, where we fit in... 

what to do. 

Pointing fingers in blame, 

or just not wanting to be the beautiful person God made us to be in the first place.

1 Corintians 12: 

On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 

So few know... 

How miraculously beautiful it can be.

And how perfectly He made us to function this way.

To be a complete picture pointing others to Christ.

If we knew the beauty of it, in a deep way within our being... 

We would scramble to church

to be connected.

To small groups, 

To a friend's house,

To go out together by twos

to fulfill the final words Christ ever gave to us before ascending.

Matthew 18

16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 

So the image of the body is not just for sitting around looking like a beautiful picture, 

but is to be put to the test as we go out. 

To point others back to Christ, to teach and build up and grow together in Him.

And as we go, 

as we go out as a body

He is always with us.

Always

until the end of all days.