“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV).
Remember my emotionally connected taps? In Part One, we looked at how the Holy Spirit used them to explain spiritual truths, like the unity in marriage and the consequences, both negative and positive, of our actions on our spouses. But as I reflected further, I came to see another layer of truth: the unity of the Church.
Just as turning on one tap sets off the other, the Body of Christ is a divine system of interconnected lives. No believer exists in isolation. What happens to one, whether joy or sorrow, obedience or disobedience, ripples through the entire Church in ways we may never see.
You might notice it more easily within your local assembly. When something good or bad happens to a member, it draws attention to the entire church. Suddenly, everyone wants to know which church that person belongs to and who their pastor is.
Many times, it’s easy to think that our lives, decisions, or struggles affect only us. But in God’s design, every part matters. Every member counts. The Body is not complete without even the smallest part doing its work.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:21–22 “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!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.”
That means the quiet intercessor who prays behind closed doors is just as vital as the preacher on the platform. The hand cannot despise the toe, nor can the voice belittle the ear. Every gift, every grace, every believer contributes to the harmony and health of the whole. When one part is wounded, the entire Body feels it. When one part is honored, the whole Body rejoices. That’s how God intended His Church to function, tied together by the Spirit, bound by love, and moving in unity.
Think of my taps again. You may turn one on, but the other responds because they share a hidden pipe. The Church operates in the same way. A word spoken in Lagos can encourage a believer in London. A prayer whispered in the night can shift a situation in another family, another city, or even another nation. We are connected by the same Spirit and nourished by the same Source, Christ Himself. I’m sure you’ve heard stories of people who took time to pray in the Spirit, only to later hear that their prayer accomplished something remarkable in a completely different location. That is how deeply our lives are woven together in Christ.
Ephesians 4:16 says “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
When you love, pray, forgive, give, or serve faithfully, you strengthen the flow within the Body. But when you gossip, neglect, or withdraw in offense, you block the pipe. The supply that should refresh others becomes trapped. So check your flow. Is your pipe open, or clogged with offense, pride, or indifference? Remember, every drop counts. Every act of love releases life into the Body. Every prayer strengthens another. Every word of encouragement keeps the water flowing.
When the Church flows in unity, heaven flows through her.
