I Am His Hands

Hello friend, and thank you for joining me for Our Daily Bread. I'm Sheridan Voisey, and I've titled today's reading, I Am His Hands. Jia Haisha lost his sight in the year 2000. His friend Jia Wenshi lost his arms as a child, but they've found a way around their disabilities. I am his hands and he is my eyes, Haisha says. Together, they're transforming their village in China. Since 2002, the friends have been on a mission to regenerate a wasteland near their home. Each day, Haisha climbs on Wenshi's back to cross a river to the site. Wenshi then hands Haisha a shovel with his foot, before Haisha places a pail on a pole between Wenshi's cheek and shoulder.

And as one digs in the other waters, the two plant trees. More than 10,000 so far. Working together, we don't feel disabled at all, Haisha says. We're a team. The apostle Paul likens the church to a body, each part needing the other to function. If the church were all eyes, there'd be no hearing.

If all ears, there'd be no sense of smell. The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you, Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Each of us plays a role in the church based on our spiritual gifts. Like Xia Haisha and Jia Wenshi, when we combine our strengths, we can bring change to the world.

Two men combining their abilities to regenerate a wasteland. What a picture of the church in action. Today's scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 12 to 21. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so, the body is not made up of one part, but of many. Now, if the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you.

And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you. Let's pray together. Lord Jesus, thank you that none of us has to be everything to everyone. Your spirit has given us different gifts and abilities that dovetail beautifully as we serve together. Would you show us today how to use our gifts in partnership with others? Would you show us how to work together as a team? It's in your name we pray, Lord Jesus. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.