Inter-dependent Parts

Our bodies are made up of many parts. None of these parts have the same use. There are many people who belong to Christ. And yet, we are one body which is Christ’s. We are all different but we depend on each other. (Romans 12:4-5)

I know a great many folks like to declare they are 'independent thinkers' and like to tout how they are 'accountable' to no one except themselves. I'd like to challenge that one a bit today because if we are to believe scripture (and I guess you might know by now that I do 100%), none of us lives unto themselves. We are all created to live in community with each other, therefore no man is really and 'independent' person. We have what each other needs - whether we'd like to think so or not. 

As a nurse, I understand many of the 'inter-dependent' parts of our human body. One of these parts stops working as it should and the rest are subject to poor outcomes as a result. Some may think that skin isn't all that important, but when it is broken down by wear and tear, friction or shear, pressure or injury - our body suffers. The potential for infection rises as the layers of protection it once provided are now gone, allowing a 'portal' for microbes to enter our bodies. As 'insignificant' as something may appear, it can hold a great deal of importance to the whole.

I am glad our bodies are not made up of all the same parts because if all we had were livers and no heart, all the detoxification the body needed might be there, but there would be no way for the liver to work without the circulation of the blood through it! Equally so, our society is made up of 'different parts' - each part serving some particular purpose - some of it 'untapped' or 'unrealized' for its extreme value. We oftentimes don't understand the value of something until it no longer exists or it is taken from us. Maybe it is time we begin to see the value in the person next to us!

What does that person actually 'have' that differs from what you 'have' in life? I am not talking about material things here like the car they drive or the home they live in or the amount of money in their bank account. I am referring to their talents, temperament, and the treasured learning they have experienced throughout the course of their life. We all bring something different into relationship - learning to appreciate the many things someone brings is indeed a good thing.

Why do I need what you bring into relationship? Simply put - I only see myself one way. I need your perspective to help me to grow, shaving off the rough edges of my character little by little, until I am formed and fashioned into the best 'me' I can be in Christ Jesus. Whether you like it or not, you need me! I need you! Together we form a 'family' of 'inter-dependent' parts. Just sayin!