Dancing With Porcupines
Bearing & Sharing With One Another
In his engaging book The Delicate Art Of Dancing With Porcupines: Learning To Appreciate The Finer Points Of Others author Bob Phillips likened the problems of building healthy relationships as Christians to porcupines learning to dance with one another. That's because the closer we get to one another, the more we seem to needle each other! Instead of hurting one another, we need to learn how to appreciate our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.
Relationships Within The Body Of Christ - 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27
In 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27 Paul emphasises that as born again Christians we are all members of the Body of Christ - The Church of Jesus Christ. And he goes on to emphasise that every member has a part to play if the Body is to function in a healthy way.
In particular he says two things -
• No member is less important than another vv 15-17
One member can't say: "I'm not needed." We're all needed
• No member of the Body is more important than any other vv 18-24
No one can say to someone else "We don't need you."
This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad. (verses 25-27)
All Members Of The Body Are Needed
If the Body of Christ is to function in a healthy way, we need to learn to appreciate one another and to encourage one another to exercise the gift(s) God has given each of us to use for building up the whole fellowship.
To find out more about building healthy relationships, click on MAKING ALLOWANCES FOR ONE ANOTHER.
RETURN TO BUILDING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
