Day 7 | Body of Christ – Definition

Read 1 Corinthians 12

When the apostle Paul was looking for a way to help the church in Corinth understand the value each of them had in Christ, he described the Church as a body. All humans have a body, so it’s a metaphor we can still understand today, even in a different culture and time. Our bodies are made of many different parts, and yet those differing parts make up one unified body—it’s the same with the Church. If any one of those parts was missing, the body wouldn’t be complete. When we lose parts (both physically and in the Church), we struggle because the role that part filled goes unfilled.

There is great beauty in understanding ourselves in this way. For one, we see how each one of us matters. There are no outcasts in the Body of Christ. To be a member means you belong, and that kind of message speaks volumes in a culture like ours that’s desperate for inclusion. Even more beautiful than that, however, is understanding God intended for things to be this way. He intended for us to be one, to work together, and to have our own unique roles and functions. Just as He made our eyes and ears and noses to have their unique places in our bodies, He designed you and me and each of those around us to be who we are and to complete His body, the Church.

Another way to look at this is we—the Body of Christ—are the living, breathing will of God working in the world today. Jesus is working through us right now to bring restoration and healing to His creation. When we show up to play our part—no matter how big or small it is—lives are changed.

Pray for God to give you a greater understanding of how you and other Christians around you fit into the Body of Christ.