Spiritual and Physical Care
- Jerry Witham
- Feb 25, 2010
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But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12.24b-26).
The body of Christ, the Church is full of diversity. This is part of God’s plan. Each local church is different than others and the members within each local body are different. Each member is different in so many ways including age, life stage, intellectually, physically, spiritually, personality and giftedness. The apostle Paul says, But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired (1 Corinthians 12.18). It is not by accident that members are in the local church that they are in. It is part of God’s strategic plan for His Church. Our differences are all part of God’s plan, so that there are no divisions and rivalry, but instead unity and oneness.
The key to such togetherness is love. This should be of most importance in the life of the local church. This is the glue for such a diverse body to be one. With such differences how does the body avoid destruction? Paul says to the church at Galatia, For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another (Galatians 5.13-15). Serving one another in love is the goal of true Christian freedom. So, you and I have been set free to love each other. Paul says, have the same care for one another. So for Paul love is not prejudice or discriminatory. No matter where the person is spiritually or economically we are to love them. The care that Paul has in mind is both spiritual and physical care. This is the loving work of the church.
Spiritual care includes protecting those in the body and pouring into those in the body. Paul would go to any limit to not cause another one to stumble. In fact, he warns the church in regard to their freedom when it comes to points of indifference and preferences saying, therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble (1 Corinthians 8.13). On the other hand, spiritual care involves an active role of pouring your life into the life of another. You may call it mentoring or discipleship. It is taking time to walk with someone through life with the Scripture as your guide and source of wisdom. Jesus says, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28.19-20). This is a mandate to the church to care for the spiritual care of all. So, we are to love each other by taking spiritual care of one another.
The other type of care that Paul has in mind is the physical care of the church. Remember the church is not a building, but a people, so this is not building maintenance. This is helping with the physical needs that the members of the body have. Luke tells us in his great writing of Acts, Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food (Acts 6.1). From the needs of widows, to the poor, to orphans and beyond that there will always be needs in our midst. The church is to care for those needs. I have personally seen the care that The Ridge takes of one another. It has been a joy to watch over the last five years. I want to encourage you to continue in this great work. In fact, this writing is to help you consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10.24).
So, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3.14). This is the more excellent way!
