Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Many Parts - One Body

Episode Transcription

Because of my disability, I know something about bodies and how they work… and don’t work! I guess that’s why I like that verse from 1 Corinthians 12 where it says, “If a foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body… but God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

I hope you can now understand why I like this verse so much. Because I will be the first to tell you that even though my legs are paralyzed, even though I cannot feel a thing in my feet, I still consider my legs and feet to be a part of my body. I can’t feel them… they don’t work… they don’t walk or run, but they are still, well… a very important part of me. You’ll never catch my leg saying, “Because I don’t walk, I do not belong to Joni’s body.” That’s no reason for my leg to cease being part of my body.

And I'll tell you what, even though my legs don’t move or feel, I still need them; I need them for balance as I sit in my wheelchair. It’s a little hard to explain, but my paralyzed legs give a lot of stability to the rest of my trunk and shoulders so I can stabilize myself in my sitting position. And another thing: not having use of my legs sure helps me appreciate my sense of sight and my sense of hearing… and, oh, how grateful I am for the feeling I do have in my neck and face. My feeling is so sensitive in those parts of my body.

Every body part is necessary. Every part fits. Every part has a role to play, even if that role is a little unusual. And what is true for a physical body like mine, is true for the body of Christ. Because friend, you may consider yourself to be disabled spiritually… maybe you feel as though you are useless to the rest of the body of Christ. You don’t work. You don’t feel things spiritually. You don’t fit. You don’t think you are necessary because the role you play is different. Well, friend, you may think you are paralyzed by your limitations, but let me tell you something, God is telling you today that he has arranged you in his body just as he wants you to be. You fit. You are necessary. Even if you don’t function as well as you think you should, you are needed – the Christian community would not be complete without you. God has told you so in 1 Corinthians 12. So go ahead and boast in your limitations as it says to do. With Christ living inside of you, you have more than enough ability. Just listen to Jesus Christ your head, and He’ll tell you how you fit!