Sizing Up The Body Of Christ

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT about how huge the church is worldwide? China Petrochemical, one of the world’s largest corporations, has a labor force of 1,190,000. How does that compare to the church? The body of Christ is at least a thousand times larger—numbering three million churches and hundreds of millions of Christians. Furthermore, a 2006 Gallup poll conducted in nineteen African nations revealed that the church was the most trusted institution in African society.

The numbers above come from Scott Todd’s book Hope Rising: How Christians Can End Extreme Poverty in This Generation. Todd is an executive with Compassion International, and his ministry assignment is to challenge men to go boldly where, historically, the church has often not been bold enough. Todd sees the church as the avenue through which God can meet both the spiritual and physical needs of the world.

As men, we can do that when we understand two things: first, that we are part of a muscle, a bone, an organ, a corpuscle, or a cell—a critical and unique part of the body of Christ; and second, that we are called to minister in the name of Christ and in connection with other believers.

BOTTOM LINE

How are you using the abilities, talents, and resources you have to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of the world?

Moment of Strength: Ezekiel 37:1-10