Everyone knows the “love chapter”, right? But have you seen what came before? Read chapter 12… it talks about being the body of Christ, the church. It talks about every part being important, even the “less honorable” parts. It talks about the gifts that make up the body: apostles, pastors, teachers, those who work miracles, healing, leaders, etc… Actually, it goes into some detail about how we protect those “less honorable” parts, taking more care with those parts “that should not be seen”… those private parts, as it were. Not gonna paint you a picture here (you’re welcome), but there are parts of the body that perform essential, yet not necessarily attractive, functions. They are invaluable to it’s health and well being and deserving of honor and protection. Moving on…
I don’t care if you are an a mouth, hand, eye or a foot or something more delicate. I don’t care if you are covered and hidden most of the time. I don’t care if you are out in front or never exposed to the elements. But that thing you do, whatever it is, we as a body can’t live without so do it well and do it in love, because…
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3