Written by Melanie Curtis
Although as a Christian I know I am a part of the body of Christ, sometimes I feel like I’m not a very important part. Paul states we are all important when he speaks about the body in 1 Corinthians 12:21-27:
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, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
At times I have found this hard to accept. When I fail or am rejected by others, I feel useless or unimportant. But this is simply not true! We must listen less to the world’s rejections and more to God’s voice through His inspired Word, the Bible, to remember we are all valuable in His sight:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
Does that sound like we are useless? Absolutely not! It is Satan, not God, that plants in our heads the lies of worthlessness. So how does this relate to the human body? Are the seemingly insignificant body parts actually more useful than we realize? Let’s take a look at some examples.
1. Hair isn’t just for beauty! It is actually useful for body temperature regulation (e.g., goose bumps). Even thin hair is a small form of insulation for our body. In the winter, normal head hair can keep heat from escaping from our heads, where we would normally lose a lot of our body heat. Eyebrows and eyelashes can protect our eyes from dust and debris. Nose hairs act as a trap for germs, pollen, and dust to protect our lungs, and may even lower the risk for asthma.
2. Nails may seem of little use other than cosmetic, seeing as many of us have lost a nail or more at one time in our lives. However, they protect our fingertips and toes, which are an extremely necessary part of normal daily activities. Fingernails help us to grab onto items easily. Not only that, but the health and appearance of your nails are an important indicator of certain diseases.
3. The appendix is no longer considered a useless body part! It has been found that it is a main source of IgA (an important antibody) in the digestive system. It protects against certain diseases and infections and helps the body regulate and restore the good bacteria in the gut.
Even looking at the examples above, we see that these “lesser” body parts are an important support and protection for the “greater” body parts. Not all of us can be in the spotlight, nor do we want to be. Even the heart has to be supported by the blood vessels to bring blood to the different parts of the body (including the heart itself!).
In the same way, those working behind the scenes are a huge blessing and a necessity in the body of Christ. This means we all support and rely on each other. We can apply this fact to ourselves and to those that we may be tempted to consider have a lesser job in the body of Christ, “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11), and neither should we.
References:
Everything You Need to Know About Nose Hair (December 9, 2019). Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/nose-hair-safari-infographic/
The immunological functions of the Appendix: An example of redundancy? (March 2, 2018). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29503124
Why do we have hair and why in their specific locations on the body? (May 6, 1999). Retrieved from http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3087
Your Nails. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/your-nails.html
*Disclaimer: Everything written in this article is not meant to be used to substitute for medical recommendations or care from a professional. Please contact your professional medical provider if you have any questions or concerns regarding your health.