Are You a Big Toe?

My twelve year old son, Joe, and I have been training for a 5K.  About ten days before the race, a very large eighteen year old landed on his left big toe.  Immediately he cried out in pain and the pain continued. 

His toe did not look great.  It looked as if it could be broken.  It was swollen, red and bruised.  He was able to move it, so we concluded it was just badly bruised.  

A week later, his toe was still a little bruised, but the swelling had decreased and the redness had dissipated.  We decided to try to go for a run.  About a half mile into the run, he noticed his toe hurting.  He said, "I never knew how something so small could effect me so much." 

I found this as a perfect opportunity to relate his big toe to our life in the body of Christ.  

"A big toe may seem small, but it becomes big when its brokenness hinders something you really want to accomplish. In the body of Christ, we are all a part of the body.  Some of us are arms.  Some of us are legs or hands.  And some of us are big toes.  As a big toe, we may not feel important.  We might not think what we have to contribute really matters, but it all matters.  When the body is missing the big toe or the big toe cannot contribute appropriately, the whole body suffers.  We need the big toe! Every member of the body is important."  

I want to encourage you today that YOU are important in the body of Christ, even if you feel like you are just a big toe.  Nothing is "just" a something in the body of Christ.  

"But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary." 1 Corinthians 12: 20-22

Every member of the body is necessary to finish the race. 

Joe and I did finish our race this past weekend, bruised toe and all.  His bruised toe didn't keep Him from finishing.  

The same is true in our Kingdom race.  When we are all working together, with all the gifts God has given us, we can accomplish so much!  If you feel bruised, that doesn't mean you have to sit out of the race.  God never said all the members would be in perfect working order, He only says we work perfectly together.  As a matter of fact, He says "those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary"!  

So, if you have days when you feel like a sore "toe", remember, He says, "You are necessary!"  And the truest thing about anything is what God says about it.