Under His Control

Under his control, all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love. -Ephesians 4:16

We recently refinished wood floors. Something we have never done in our lives. With fearlessness, the two of us walked into the local hardware store and asked questions about renting a sander. Ignoring the uneasy looks from the man helping us, we walked out of there with 7 different grains of sandpaper, a foam pad and a machine heavier than the both of us combined. We stopped at the deli for a quick bite to eat and a quick how-to video on sanding floors and we were on our way. One step closer to opening The Table, a quaint little building with so much character, the future home of bible studies, gatherings and changed lives. The wood floors in this building have been patched in so many places. There are probably 4 different kinds of wood making up this 700 square foot room. Some of it brand new and some of it as old as the rafters. Some have beautiful grains swirling through it and other pieces look like they came from an old basketball court. All working together to serve its purpose. To carry the feet of people in and out of what once was a beauty/barber shop, this floor was not done being used by God.

I can’t help but think of all the different wood slats as the body of Christ. They all fit together to serve one purpose. Some are long, some are short, some are fat and some skinny, some are dark wood and some light, strong and soft. They work together to make the floor functional for me and you to walk on. From the naked eye the floor is not perfect. There are flaws, small holes, cracks between boards. In fact, without wood filler you would be able to see down to the dirt below. No, not perfect, I would say this floor is rough, but beautiful. Because God brought this floor together to make wholeness out of pieces. Each holding its own weight, coming together for one purpose. The body of Christ is like this. Under God’s control, He fits us together to become a tool to further His Kingdom. Working together, as we should, the body will grow for God’s glory. Out of love we will unite and connect on a special level that brings us closer and makes us stronger, and more beautiful. As the world revolves we will lose some pieces and gain some new ones, just like this floor. But God is always in control. From now on, let’s allow God to grow our body, trusting Him to make the masterpiece while we obey his call to include even the bent and scuffed “boards”. God has a plan and will use us all to His Glory.