Cooperation is a great thing. Many things can be achieved by one man working all alone. Art, music, writing, craftsmanship, and a good number of other things can be done by one person who applies himself to his task and then present this work, as a blessing, to others. There are some things, however, that require teamwork. The talents and toil of numbers of people, working together in harmony, is necessary for a business to operate, a school to perform its charter, an army to defend a country, or a church to fulfill its commission.
The local church, as the body of Christ, is composed of many members who are part of the whole, "For the body is not one member, but many." 'But now are they many members, yet one body." (I Cor. 12:14&20) The analogy of a body is a fitting picture of how God would have us to view our church. A healthy body has all its parts working, but not only working, they must work in harmony with all the other parts! For example, if you have a perfectly good heart, but that heart does not respond to the increased needs of oxygen to the body, due to exercise, then the body is limited and weakened. It may be capable of pumping to whatever degree required, but if communication breaks down then it will not serve the body well. It could be said that the heart is faulty because it does not show up to the level the body requires when needed. Also one may have a perfectly good eye, but it this eye wanders around on its own instead of working with the other eye, the focus will be off and the body cannot function properly.
All too often, a church can be just like that malfunctioning body. The parts may be good but, without communication and coordination, the body is weakened. The Holy Spirit dwells inside of each of us and serves to help us communicate on the same level. This is why we must walk closely with Christ and allow his Spirit to rule in our hearts. It is the ministry of the Spirit of God to join us together, move us to compassion, and direct our energies to a healthy sense of Christian unity.
Worship, fellowship, and working together in Christian service connects us as the body of Christ. Whenever we meet, whether it is an actual worship service, or a scheduled time of fellowship, we are able to practice the spirit of cooperation that is essential to achieve a healthy body life. When we are close, we will naturally communicate and cooperate. If we are detached and distant from fellowship, we will begin to weaken as a viable participant in the body.
How about you? Are you connected? Are you performing your role in the life of your church? Perhaps God is calling you to a closer walk with him. If you draw closer to Christ, he will lead you to draw closer to others too. These are the people Christ wants use to bless your life and these are the people that he wants you to bless. There is no effective Christianity unless it is practiced in the world of "one another". How about the church services? Are you looking forward, with enthusiasm, to each meeting with your brothers and sisters? Are you hungry for the Word of God? Is the church calendar the priority in your weekly schedule?
I encourage you, dear friend, to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit which dwells inside you. He will lead you to close communion with Christ and loving harmony with your Christian family. We have much to do. We need all the various "body" parts healthy and working together!
Quotes:
"The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life." -- James L. Christensen
"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society; it is descending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender." A. W. Tozer