Bundle Up!

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12: 24b-26

It is cold today, and I don’t like it one bit. Whenever I have to go out in the cold, I bundle up. I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I like to wear lots of layers if I know I’m going to be outside in the cold and snow. I wear leggings under my pants with insulated bibs over top. I wear at least two pair of socks inside my insulated boots. I wear gloves inside my mittens. I wear a T-shirt under a sweatshirt under my coat. I cover my head in a hat that always catches my ears, and I wear a big scarf around my neck.

I have a set of a picture book that I often read with my first grade groups around this time of year. It’s called Under My Hood I Have a Hat. It cracks me up at the end because when the little girl gets all bundled up and goes outside in the snow, she falls down and can’t get up because of all her layers. And that’s how I feel when I am dressed for being out in the cold. Yup, I can barely move!

But without all these layers, something inevitably becomes uncomfortably cold. And it doesn’t matter which part of me gets uncomfortably cold, even when it’s only my feet or only my hands or only my ears, my whole self feels miserable. And at this point, my whole self usually goes inside to warm up! My time out in the cold and snowy weather will be over. I’m done.

This makes me think of how Paul used the body to describe the church. As believers, we are all part of a larger body. And if one part suffers, we all suffer. If one part is hurt - physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally - it affects the whole.

In my physical body, I know this, and in the cold weather I take care to bundle my whole body. It would be ridiculous to wear layers on my legs, torso, head, and hands, but try to go out bare-footed in the snow. I would be useless out there like that!

But I am mindful tonight that I do not take as much care of the members of my church “body”. I sometimes don’t even notice when a fellow believer is struggling or hurting. And if I do notice, I don’t always do anything about it--especially if they don’t ask for help or say anything about their struggle. Why am I like that!?

Sometimes, I don’t know what to do for them, and so I do nothing. But really, there is at least one thing that I can always do for the other members of my body. Something that is amazing and powerful and can help them through anything - just like all my layers keep me warm. I can pray. I can also encourage and honor and speak truth and extend grace and mercy.

Friends, this teaching job is hard. It demands so much of us. And it is easy to become discouraged and hurt. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. It is easy to get to the uncomfortable point where you just want to take a break - to go inside and warm back up.

So let’s take care of one another! Let’s wrap each other up in a warm, cozy blanket of prayer each week. Let’s prepare a nice, warm cup of kind words for one another. Let’s find ways to protect one another from the harsh winds of criticism and the biting chill of over-work.

Because, truthfully, we need each other, and we are so much stronger together.

Father God, thank You for each and every one of the fellow believers that You have placed in my life - especially those in my school with me each day. Lord, protect them from the attacks of the Enemy that continually come. Strengthen them with Your great might. Encourage them with glimpses of Your hand at work around them. Help them to know they are loved and important, and help me to see ways that I can help them to be encouraged this week.

For Small Groups:
In your group, randomly draw the name of another and make a commitment to pray for him/her at least once a week for the next month. Make an effort to do some little form of encouragement for him/her this month - maybe a note or a small gift, maybe offer to do a small job, etc.