The Stories of Christmas | We're All Needed

The eye can't say to the hand, "I don't need you," or in turn, the head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."

1 Corinthians 12:21 (CEB)

Sometimes we convince ourselves we don't need other people. We think we can handle it on our own. We've got it all figured out. And that was happening in the church in Corinth. Some people thought their gifts made them more important than everyone else. And when you think you're more important, it's pretty easy to start thinking you don't need the "less important" people.

Paul addresses this head-on with a simple but powerful statement: The eye can't say to the hand, "I don't need you." In other words, no part of the body gets to decide that another part is unnecessary. No matter how important you think you are, you still need everyone else.

And here's what makes this so powerful: Paul doesn't pick obscure body parts for his example. He picks the eye, one of the most important parts of your body, and says even the eye can't function independently. Even the most "important" parts need the "less important" parts.

We live in a culture that celebrates independence. We admire people who are self-made, self-sufficient, who don't need anyone's help. We're taught that needing others is weakness, that depending on people makes you vulnerable.

But the church is supposed to be different. The church is supposed to be a place where we recognize that we need each other. And yet, we still fall into the same trap the Corinthians did. 

But when we decide we don't need certain people, we lose something important. We lose perspective we desperately need. We lose gifts that could bless us. We lose relationships that could change us.

The eye sees things the hand can't. But the hand does things the eye can't do. And together, they accomplish what neither could do alone.

That's how the church is supposed to work. The person with the gift of teaching needs the person with the gift of mercy. The person who's great at organizing needs the person who's great at welcoming. The long-time member needs the new person's fresh perspective. The older generation needs the younger generation's energy.

We need each other. Not just in theory. Not just as a nice idea. We actually, truly, desperately need each other.

So here's the question: Who have you been treating like you don't need them? Who have you been dismissing, avoiding, or overlooking?

Because here's the truth: None of us can say "I don't need you" to anyone else in the body. We're all connected. We're all dependent on each other. And the church only works when we embrace that reality instead of fighting against it.

Prayer

God, forgive me for the times I've acted like I don't need other people. Forgive me for dismissing people, avoiding people, overlooking people who are just as much a part of your body as I am. Help me to see that I need every part of the body—even the parts I've been ignoring. Open my eyes to the gifts others bring. Help me to value people I've undervalued, to include people I've excluded, and to recognize that you work through every single member of your church. Amen.