We Are Not Alone || Being Pulled Apart || Week 3

Welcome back to our “Being Pulled Apart” series! We’re looking at four stories in scripture that talk about being anxious or the Greek word merimnaó. Through the word study we did on this Greek word, we were able to understand being anxious as the following: Being anxious (merimnaó) means to have our worries, concerns, and anxieties (merimna) pulled apart (merizó) into many different directions (meros). If you missed the word study portion, read this series’s first blog because it was awesome!

Last week, we talked about how to intentionally investigate the Kingdom of God first and foremost. We learned that if we do that, then God will come and personally interact with us to supply our needs. Then we learned four ways to overcome worry: simply trust that God will care for us, get a new perspective on our problems, find a support team, and, if needed, seek professional help. 

This week, we shift to Paul’s letters and discuss how we’re not alone in our worries. We’re going to talk about how our gifts help work with others. We’ll also talk about appropriately responding when our brother or sister in Christ is dealing with worries and anxieties. 

Today’s scripture is 1 Corinthians 12:22-26. Reminder: the bold verses contain the Greek word merimnaó. Here’s what the scripture says. 

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem the weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 

23 And the part we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 

If you’re confused, that’s okay. Paul has a tendency to do that to people. At face value, Paul’s talking about the parts of the human body. Realistically, Paul is talking about the church body. What would be helpful is to gain some context from the chapter before we talk about things. 

1 Corinthians 12 opens up by talking about spiritual gifts. Paul mentions this about spiritual gifts in verses 4-7: 

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 

A spiritual gift is something that God gives us so we can help each other. Paul lists the gifts as counseling, teaching, faith, healing, miracle maker, prophesy, discernment, and communication. Now, these are just the examples that Paul lists in three verses. Think about how many other gifts the people in your life have. Think about the gifts others see in you that you may have a hard time believing you have yourself. When you doubt these gifts, remind yourself that the Holy Spirit hands out these gifts and decides what you should have. If you have it, you HAVE it. Be thankful for it. Do not doubt because you were chosen to have these gifts for a reason. So, that’s the introductory info you need to have about the spirit gifts. Let’s talk about Paul’s analogy next. 

The remainder of this chapter is about how one body has many parts. Hear this in verses 12-14, 18-20: 

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 

The connections are building and should be making more sense. The universal church, which Paul describes here, includes people of many different backgrounds. Yet, all that matters is that those people were baptized into Christ’s family (see John 3 for more information on that) because we all share the same Spirit involved at Baptism. As the different parts of our body work together to keep the body moving, the different people of the church body need to work together to keep the church moving. This sounds cliche, but I say all this because of verse 18. The body has many parts, but God put each part exactly where he wanted it to go. We are often placed in the church God wants us in for a reason.

That has been my calling card for my ministry work over the past 7-9 years. I was at the churches I served for a reason, and while I might not have known what that reason was. I was there, doing what God designed me to do. Here’s where verse 19 comes in. I didn’t do my ministry work alone. It would be strange to run the ministry by myself. More accurately, it would be next to impossible, so there had to be others. There had to be many parts for the ministry body, just as there are many parts for the church body. It’s a beautiful analogy.

So, there’s the context about the spiritual gifts and the body, but what does ANY of this have to do with anxiety and worry. Let’s talk about that. 

Paul argued for the diversity of gifts and acceptance of God’s full range of gifts. His position: no one should feel superior about their gifts; instead, all should use their gifts to willingly serve. This makes me think of the full neurotypical vs. neurodivergent argument. I am not an expert in this, but I’m enveloped in the neurodivergent community. I’ve worked with many people in this community and believe I am a part of this community through my own mental health journey so far. Typically, the neurodivergent community includes those diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexia. It can include other mental health disorders; these are the main three. Neurodiversity is the understanding that there are various ways that people’s brains process info, function, and behave. This differs from neurotypical brains, which do those same things in a typical format. With the amount of publicity this subject matter is giving, I believe this supports Paul’s position. 

Some ways of the world are regarded as more important than others. These are ways that are universally accepted in its ranking. We often approve of the gifts shown as the result of the work rather than the gifts that got us to the result itself. Paul’s saying here that no one should discount the contribution of others. Someone might not do something like we do, but they still get the same result. It’s the same thing that comes with our mental health. We can process things differently. We can structure our days and routines differently. IT DOESN’T MEAN WE SHOULD JUDGE because I do things differently than you and you than me. It doesn’t mean we should criticize and offer “help” to solve their “problem.” We should accept their gifts. As long as they aren’t hurting themselves or others, then accept the person as they are. Accept the person as Jesus accepts us. 

If you’re part of the neurodivergent community and feel dissatisfied because you do things differently or struggle to do what neurotypical people can do easily, don’t be dissatisfied. God has given you the gifts and talents to do those things, just in a different way. Take some time to learn your brain, understand how your mind works, and, if needed, call on a specialist to help understand your brain, such as a therapist or psychologist. There are people that God can put in your community to help, who have their own gifts that help you understand your gifts. There will be struggles in comprehending how your mind works. Still, God is there with you and ready to hear your confusion, tears, pain, frustration, and even joy, as you come to know the person you are. When you get there, too, I pray you have the courage and confidence to live who you indeed are as God’s gifted child to the world. 

For those who might have neurodivergent people in their community, how do you respond when they’re happy about something, regardless of what it is? How do you respond when they’re sad? Do you meet them where they are? Do you tell them to “get over it” or make a minor deal about their happiness? The Bible calls us to be happy with those who are happy and suffer with those who are suffering. It’s meeting them where they are. We might not understand what that means. We may be uncomfortable because this isn’t normal for you. It’s okay. Ask curious questions if possible. Just sit there and listen to their stories. Be the person that Jesus wants you to be. 

Often, we can be jealous when others are happy, thinking: “Why can’t I be that happy?” or “What are they so happy about?” We can be careless to those suffering, thinking: “Just get over it.” or “Suck it up.” How we react to others is often a projection of our own beliefs. Don’t believe me? Pay attention to your thoughts when you’re out in a crowd somewhere people-watching. Pay attention to the judgments and assumptions you cast on these strangers. Question why you made that judgment. I’m guilty of it, and I believe you are too. 

It’s hard to be happy for someone when we feel like we deserve that happiness and aren’t getting it. It’s hard to show a genuine and authentic reaction to someone when you don’t get those feelings yourself. It’s hard to empathize with someone, genuinely and authentically, when no one wants to hear us. It’s hard to share that with others if we’re being ignored, isolated (possibly by our choice), cut short, or something along those lines. It’s hard. I’ve been on both sides of this. I’ve been the person who knocks someone’s achievement down because I’m not achieving myself. I’ve been the person who’s not had a response equitable to mine regarding my own success. I remember what Jesus said: “Love each other as I loved you.” Love is an expression of deep care. Jesus cares for us. He celebrates the successes with us. He suffers in our sorrows.

We’re all in this world together. We all belong to the same planet, follow God, and live according to the same book. Community is essential and, as I’ve mentioned before, a part of how he created us. He also created each of the eight billion people on earth in diverse ways, with different looks, skin color, socioeconomic backgrounds, gifts, skills, talents, and brains. It’s up to us to learn how each other works and share the love and care that God shares with us. Whether you’re neurotypical or neurodivergent, God belongs to us all. God loves us all. Let us go out and share that love with others. 

That wraps us up for today. I feel in awe to see God’s word come across uniquely and meaningfully. We talked about the different gifts the Spirit gives us and how God created each of us with these gifts. We discussed ways the community we’re involved with should help, honor, and love us with our gifts. Until then, my friends, stay blessed!