One Engine – Many Parts

Have you ever thought what a conversation might sound like if engine parts could talk?  The valve springs might be saying to each other, “We have the worst job.  All day long we sit here and get smashed over and over.  That oil pan, he just sits around and does nothing.”  “Oh, you think this is easy” says the oil pan, “you ought to try and hold all this hot slimy oil.”  And we can only imagine what the carburetor and rod bearings would be saying. 

Well, just as in an engine, we have many people that make up our Christian fellowships.  Along with our getting together with other followers of Christ, we have people that are given the roles of pastors, teachers, elders, Sunday school directors, ushers, deacons, etc.  There are times when we may get a job that does not seem like the most important or glamorous. 

Just like one of our engine parts, we may not think that we have a very good job.  We might think that being the header or the intake manifold is the best job.  Well the Apostle Paul had something to say about this. (Yes, this was even an issue way back then!)

Paul wrote, “…those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.  And the parts that are un-presentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.  But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices wit it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but for me I know that I struggle with this issue at times.  When someone else gets a position that I want or wins a race that I wanted to win, it is hard to rejoice with them. And it is hard at times to not feel that our job is not as important as another.  But when we step back and look at this from the view that Christ wants us to have, then we can see things with fresh eyes.  He wants us to understand that every part has a place and not one part is more important than another.  An engine won’t last without an oil pump or a head gasket.  The same thing goes in our Christian communities, we all have a part and they are all important.  So rejoice in what you do to serve the Lord and rejoice that God has chosen others to serve with you in the body.

Ken Webb