Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Corinthians 12:14-26.

 

“¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many.  ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.  ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?  If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  ¹⁸ But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.  ¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be?  ²⁰ But now there are many members, but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”;  or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”  ²² On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;  ²³ and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable members have no need of it.  But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it;  if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”  1 Corinthians 12:14-26.

 

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Sometimes, to our shame, we isolate, dismiss, and even ridicule, different parts of the body of Christ.  We try to feel superior to them by pointing out how they are different than us and how they can not do the same things as well as we do them.  We need to meditate on today’s Scripture to be reminded about the importance of each different part of the body of Christ and how we need to encourage them.

 

But, also sometimes, even when we pretend to encourage each other, we really do not do so.  We think that we “encourage” others when we only encourage them to be just like us.  Such messages may be wrapped in a thin coat of glazed sweetness, but it is really only a bitter stalk of superiority.

 

Encouragement does not only say:  “Be like me.” (although there are times for that message as we read earlier in 1 Corinthians 11:1).  Encouragement states, as it does in today’s Scripture:  “You are different than me.  I need you!  What a blessing you are to us!  Thank you!!!” 

 

There is a man that I know that does a great job running a Christian homeless shelter by providing so many different things that the homeless need.  However, he may also have Arminian leanings such as by his insistence on having an altar call before each dinner he serves.  But, he does know my Calvinist teachings, and he does seem receptive to them.  Nevertheless, I could still distance myself from him, because he is very different than me. 

 

But, I have felt that it is my duty and honor to encourage and support him in his ministry based on today’s Scripture and other Scriptures.  I am so thankful that there are Christian men and women like him who are gifted to do this Christian work and who eagerly and joyously do it.  I would be figuratively pounding my head against the wall to try to do it. 

 

In conclusion, there are enough posted daily devotions and resources  

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:14
“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

 

Hebrews 3:13
“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”