Puzzle Pieces

As we turn our attention to Romans 12 verses 3-8, we are met with this heading in the NIV translation: “Humble Service in the Body of Christ” Verse 3 starts it off this way, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

Have you ever put together a puzzle, maybe a big one of over a thousand pieces? You labor over it for days and days only to discover that you are missing one piece! It’s a little bit frustrating, isn’t it? (Well, maybe very frustrating)

In our passage for this week, Paul’s overall message to the church is about unity within the Body of Christ; and he begins it by stating that unity begins with humility. Namely us not thinking that our part of the “puzzle” is any more significant than anyone else’s. Instead, he tells us that we need to look at ourselves and our contributions with “sober judgment.”  In other words, we need to clearly realize that our contribution is just one part of a much larger picture. We are each given a piece, distributed to us according to God’s grace and our ability; and although some of us may have a “larger” or more “colorful” piece than someone else, they all fit together in perfect harmony when arranged according to God’s plan. That’s a beautiful picture!

It’s a great feeling to be putting that puzzle together and there it is—that last piece waiting to be installed. It may have been the last one, ignored until the very end, but when it’s put in place the picture is complete! Let’s all serve humbly together! Where do you fit in?

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. –James 4:10

Jimmy