Together is Better
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12).
Molly Seidel won a bronze medal in her third ever marathon in the Tokyo Olympics. Did you see her legendary win? So incredible!! She overcame OCD and an eating disorder to even get to Tokyo. A swampy 78 degrees when the race began with 82 percent humidity 21 of the 88 world class entrants dropped out. But not Molly Seidel. Kinesiology tape on her left knee still holding, lungs screaming, and ZZ Top shades still gleaming, she double fisted across the finish line for the third-place race of her life.
In the interview process after the race NBC arranged for Molly to see the crowd back home gathered at her mom’s house to cheer her on. Breathless, Molly could see and talk to her mom and all her loved ones. At first Molly cried, hand over mouth, in seeing her loved ones witness her triumph. But then she said the best line we’ve heard a winner say in public for some time.
Gaining her composure Molly glared at her mom and loved ones shouting, “WE DID IT!” Joy erupted on the other end. Of course, in true Wisconsin fashion right after that Seidel added, “Drink a beer for me mom.” But first Molly acknowledged what we all so often forget. Great victory often comes from more we and less me. “WE DID IT!” she said. Isn’t that great?
Jesus didn’t die for us and make us his own with forgiveness and life in him to just go it alone. No, he wants us each to be a vital part of his church, his body. “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 - For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body - whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 - Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). Jesus wants less me and more we in the Church.
Are you playing a serving role in a church body? Have you linked up in Christian friendship with others? What excuses for not connecting are hindering you from partnership? Friend, think of the thrill of being able to say with others and Jesus when someone comes to see Christ through a gospel partnership - “WE DID IT!” Shared joy is a double joy. Often together is better.
A bush missionary had a blind man, Khufu, and a woman born with no arms, Dzuwa, insist on helping build a new church. You know what that bush missionary did? Gave the blind man a bucket and told him to go to the river with the armless woman and bring water for the bricks.
Khufu had strong arms. Dzuwa had good eyes. Together no one found greater joy in serving Jesus. When they church was finished guess what they stepped back and shouted together?
