A couple of weeks ago, the blazing hot sun and I went to see my second oldest nephew, Clayton, play football. The stands were teaming with family and friends cheering with gusto as these pint-sized pigskin players gutted it out on the field. However, even the loudest of bleacher coaches were given a run for their volume as the cheerleaders spread down the sideline with the enthusiasm of a competitive squad and a pitch that is unique to peewee cheerleaders. As my sister and I stumbled down memory lane at our misguided attempts at cheerleading, I noticed an extra bouncy ponytail headed to her cheer coach with zeal in her eyes, "Let's do 'Sack That Quarterback'!" she requested eagerly. Even from several rows up I could hear that this was obviously a favorite cheer of hers and it seemed as if she would burst if one more second passed by without this cheer. The problem?? Her team was on offense.
All too often in our families, our churches, our governments, our communities, even in our own hearts we are so busy focused on the roles and tasks that we enjoy most or perform the best that unbeknownst to us we are actually working against the goals of our team. We are so focused on our sideline work that we have no idea what is going on in the field.
I Corinthians 12 tells us that God has put His church together as a body; one unit functioning with many members. Each member has a specific task, but there is only one head, who is Christ Jesus our Lord. If in our physical body the brain is directing the hands to feed the stomach, but the hands are too busy juggling because it is flashier and more fun, then the whole body starves. Certainly, the hands do not maliciously juggle, but life and Scripture will most definitely affirm that ignorance is most assuredly not bliss. We will be held responsible not only for what we know and do, but also what we would have known and done had we been paying attention.
"But now there are many members, but one body." I Corinthians 12:20
