OCTOBER 2025
THE TOE IS IMPORTANT
I was watching a football story the other night and it showed the injuries of some of the players who couldn’t play because of these injuries. A toe??? Come on! Surely a toe shouldn’t keep a player off the field. However, a broken or injured toe effects the whole body. It can be as painful as a broken shoulder or arm.
Have you ever stumped or broken one of your toes? I have, and let me tell you, it’s painful. My whole body comes to its rescue and wants to comfort my toe. When my toe hurts, my whole body hurts!
We read in 1Corinthians 12 that we have one body while on this earth, but we have many members of our body. Each member has its own use. My toe is as important as my hand. My hand is as important as my ear. My ear is as important as my eyes. My hand can’t do what my ears or eyes can do. Each has its own function.
This passage really isn’t talking about our physical body but the body of Christ…..Christians. Every member of the body of Christ is important. When one of us hurts, we should all hurt.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”(1 Cor. 12:21-26)
We each have gifts that have been given by God. We can’t say because I teach I’m more important to the body. I preach, so I’m really more important. I have the gift of healing or working miracles or speaking in tongues, so surely I’m more important to the body. No! All are part of the body, and all are important.
“Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:29-31)
The next chapter tells of the ‘more excellent way’. Love never fails. When we truly love each other, we won’t think of ourselves more important than our brother or sister. When we truly love each other, we will understand that every ‘part’ of the Body of Christ is important.