Indispensable in God’s Eyes

October 1, 2022

Bible Readings

Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Memory Verse

1 Corinthians 12:22

We cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. (CEV)

written by Ron VandenBurg
illustrated by Chad Thompson

Mark, Milo, and an adult are in the sanctuary coming down the aisle with sound equipment—cords, mics, amps, etc. Mark is in his wheelchair. We see Casey, Sofia, and Sofia’s mom setting up the worship team with music stands and sheet music in their hands. We see the stage has a ramp. Mark says, “It's going to be awesome doing the sound for worship!”

We see Mark farther down the aisle, rushing to the stage. We see Milo smiling. Mark announces, “We’ve got all the mics and equipment for you!”

From their perspective, we see everyone on stage waving and welcoming. As Mark continues to come down the aisle calling out, “Let’s get to work! You guys aren’t doing this without us!”

Print Comic

God loves you. He made you in his image. He formed you before you were born. He sent his Son to die and pay for your sins, and to open a way for you to live with him forever. Right now, he is preparing a place for you to live with him, just like he promised.

God loves you because you are his; you can’t make him love you more or love you less. You don’t have to be good or bad, or rich or poor. Your skin color or the country you live in doesn’t matter to God.

God says we all belong. Our Bible reading says that we as a church family form a body, and every part of the body is in its place for a reason (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). You might be an ear on the body, but the ear needs for the body to also have feet, a heart, and elbows. If one part is missing, the body is incomplete.

That means we are indispensable; the body of Christ “cannot get along without” each of us. The body of Christ needs you.

This means the church is not supposed to just be old people, or just young people. It is not just for people who all look the same. The church is for everyone, and it is especially for the people that we might think are less important.

In fact, the weaker parts of the body are the most important. That means our bodies are not complete if we do not include people the world sees as weak, people that maybe can’t do some of the things that you can. And if you have trouble feeling like you belong, maybe our Bible reading will remind you that God says something very important about those of us who are weak. He says we are indispensable. How can you make someone who is different from you feel indispensable today?

Prayer

Dear Father, you love me, and you have called me to love you. I know one of the ways I can love you is to love the people you have created, especially the ones that don’t always feel like they are indispensable. Can you help me see people the way you see them? Lord, help me to accept your love and to treat the parts of the body that are weaker as indispensable to your church. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Related Resources

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Dan Vander Plaats

Dan Vander Plaats is the Director of Advancement, Marketing, and Communications at Elim Christian Services, a global, Christian disability ministry based in Crestwood, Illinois. Dan serves on the advisory committee for a bi-denominational Disability Concerns committee. In 2009, he developed “The 5 Stages: Changing Attitudes” to help churches and individuals assess and change their attitudes toward people with disabilities, and he’s the author of Changing Attitudes about Disability. He is married to Denise (Hiemstra) and is father to Ben and Emma.