One

God isn't somewhere 'out there.' When you look up to Him or raise your hands to Him, it's emblematic. He's in you, you're in Him. You're One.

One body, many parts - We're not all the same!

There's no such thing as a cookie cutter Christian. We're simply not all the same... and that's a very good thing!

Looking back to when we first got married, I remember my wife and I doing various things to try to get one another to conform to our own way of doing things. I don't think we did it intentionally. We simply were both used to doing things a certain way, and we didn't think it was right that the other would do things a different way! (Some simple examples: how to do the dishes, how to make the bed, how to fold the clothes, which way the toilet paper went, squeezing the toothpaste from the end or from the top, etc).

As we grew together, we realized that neither of us was wrong in the ways we did certain things. We simply took different approaches to different things. And slowly we took our grips off of trying to control each other in those things. Some issues are of course not so small, and they take a lot more work and compromise, not to mention the key factors of love and grace. But the point is that we can't expect each other to be exactly the same.

It's the same within the body of Christ. There seems to be a lot of "conforming" going on instead of us allowing each other to be who God has made us to be. In 1 Cor 12:12, the Apostle Paul says "the body is one" (or "the body is a unit"), but that doesn't mean every part of the body is the same! He goes on to say that while the body is a unit, "it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ."

So we are one body, made up of many different parts. A little later, Paul goes on, "In fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body" (1 Cor 12:18-20).

The ways in which my wife and I respond to different situations within the body... are different! Let's just say there's a disaster, such as the recent flooding that took place here in Iowa. My wife is usually quick to say something like, "I'm going to make a meal for so and so, and I'll see if anyone else wants to do the same and we'll set up a schedule to get meals delivered to the family at different times." My mind goes nowhere near thoughts like that! In those situations, my part in the body has more to do with helping clean up basements or rubble or stuff like that. Other people are really gifted at simply "being there" for people and either offering encouraging words or simply putting their arms around people and remaining quiet, or letting them simply talk about what they've been through. Some people work at trying to help people find places to stay.

Again, the point in all of this is that we're not all the same... and that's a very good thing! Each of us has a unique identity in Christ, and a unique "part" in His body. Who are you?

"One" (In the Name of Love)

Ok so overall this song doesn't go along with my "One" post from the other day, but as I was out and about this morning I was thinking about that post and this song came on the radio. A couple of the verses do go somewhat along with my post. And... I simply like the song, so I thought I'd post it. The song, of course, also goes along with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated earlier this week.

"One man come in the name of love..."
"One man come here to justify..."
"One man betrayed with a kiss..."

U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love)