Diversity in the Body, Why?

One of the things the Lord showed me this last year was the diversity of the body of Christ and why that is necessary. I never understood ‘why’ there was a need for so many flavors of Christian churches and ministries when we all worshipping the same God. I always believed the ultimate goal of our ministry, JAMA, was to point someone to the church. That is simply not true in all cases.

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 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. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” 1 Cor 12:12-14

I remember a story a pastor friend told many years ago. He was on the road ministering as an evangelist. He was sitting in a hotel room with his pastor when a late night TV evangelist came on. The minister was as country as they come, twang and all. He preached and sang away in all the Lord’s glory. You’d have thought you’d been transported to a small old time Gospel country church setting.

My friend was poking fun at the guy as he sang when his pastor asked him a question, who do you suppose the Lord uses to reach country folk? Not sure what to answer he said nothing. Don’t you think it would be best if the Lord used a country preacher to reach country folk? That stopped my buddy cold. There was great wisdom in what his pastor said. The country preacher, for the most part, has the same experiences and loves as those he was called to minister too.

He has used that story many times over the years. It’s a defining point for him, not unlike many of my own. Nearly every Christ follower I know can point to one of those life altering moments and say on this day the Lord spoke to me about this subject and opened my eyes to His reality. Ponder that thought as you walk through your day.

Blessings