IBS (first attempt)

One of the many things Matt is doing here at Potter's Field Ranch is sitting in on classes with the interns. I rarely am able to sit in on classes simply because I am homeschooling our children or preparing for Spanish classes, or working on other things. This week however, I was able to catch my first IBS class with Pastor G. It was such a blessing and quite possibly one of the best hours I have spent while on the Ranch. What a simple, yet profound way to study the scriptures! And what and incredible blessing these 12 young people have in this community of beleivers with which they have the privilege of studying God's Word.

One of the students asked me to come back to class...so I took down the rest of the week's assigned scriptures.

Here is my first attempt at IBS.

1 Corinthians 12:11

"All of these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills." ESV

Often, I limit God and put him in a box. My only conclusion for why I do this is because I recognize that I myself am limited and therefore my inclination is to follow the logic that my gift is only as useful as I am capable.
This scripture clearly states that it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that gifts are given and demonstrated in the life of a believer. Therefore it is not dependent on MY ability, MY strength, MY determination or even MY will, what gift I have or how I should use that gift.

"But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." NKJV

The gifts that have been given to me come directly from God himself and are chosen specifically for me because God has a unique purpose for my life and the use of those very gifts are an intricate part of His perfect plan and purpose for me. He alone has decided the perfect gift for me.

Could it be that this is completely and utterly overwhelming to me? Could the truth really be that He loves me so much that He put so much thought into creating me, that from before time He picked out a special gift for me and created an intricate, detailed plan for my life that revolves around me using that gift and that by doing so I will not only be serving Him, but serving ALL my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Could His wisdom be so infinite that this is true not only just for me, but for each and every child of the Living God?

Romans 12:4-6 (NKJV)
"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..."

YES! again and again -YES! Each one of us has the exact same measure of love poured out upon us. We each have the same blessing given to us. Which means that not one is greater than another. We each have a gift unique to the plan the Father has for us, and that gift is intricately connected to the well being of other believers, therefore is woven into the lives of other believers in the body of Christ.

When we look at the human body, there are individual parts that function on their own. Which is to say that the heart functions to pump blood throughout the entire body. That is it's function. Yet, that specific function is intricately connected to the every other part of the body. If it were to stop working, it would shut down the entire body. If we were to look into all the parts of the body, we would surely discover parts that we could seemingly live without. The human body can survive without the spleen. The spleen is a small organ that helps our bodies fight infection by warding off antibodies and removing bacteria from the blood. When the spleen is removed due to injury or for a transplant, other body parts, such as the liver or lymph nodes, begin to play a bigger role in your immune system. As a result of not having a spleen, your body is more susceptible to illness. Without a spleen, infections can be deadly if not treated right away.

Isn't that just what Paul is saying to us through this illustration about the body and the way each member of the body functions? I may feel inadequate in my gifting. Or I may feel pretty self-righteous in my gifting. Neither is ok because it is by the WILL of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD that I have the gift that I have, not due to any merit on my part. It's not about me! It's about HIM!

In a body without a spleen, other organs work harder to make up for the lack of the spleen. It is possible for the body to survive and function and get the daily job of keeping the human alive done, but it will never be the same as having the spleen itself in the body. Likewise in the body of Christ. If I am not working and functioning fully in the Spirit, my gift will not be manifested in the way God intended, nor will I demonstrate fully the power of the Holy Spirit if I chose to rely on my own strength or understanding. Other members of the body of Christ will have to work harder in my absence or due to my lack of fully using my gift. The Body of Christ will still manage to function without me, but it will not be the same as if I were fulfilling the task for which I was uniquely created.

Application: I will seek The Lord, asking him to confirm my gifting, and praising him for fearfully and wonderfully making me . I will thank him for the gifts he has given me and thank him for the ways I have seen him use my gift in my life. I will thank him for his perfect will in my life. I will actively look for ways to use my gift today.
What Happens to Your Body Without a Spleen? Read more: | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5569077_happens-body-spleen.html#ixzz2Jfh2uHRh