God's Prayer Promise: When Overlooked

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (I Corinthians 12)

One thing I have learned dealing with people through the years is that everyone wants to have their life count. Part of that is the "feedback" we receive from others. We want to be recognized for our contributions, accomplisments, and investments.  When we are not - when we feel ignored, overlooked and take for granted, bad feelings follow.  Paul helps us take another look. The really important parts of the body do their job unseen by the human eye. The hand - one of the most "productive" parts of the body, cannot do its work unless the foot takes it there. Eyes do not sense danger sneaking up behind you. In other words, we are not to live for recognition, even though it makes us feel good. Sometimes we will receive it; often we will not.  God says the Body needs me, and with that I should be content; it is, after all, Christ's Body. And I need to care more about the other members of the body than I do myself - that's the way Christ lived His life; that's the way I want to live mine. I may feel like I am overlooked, when really I'm just not sticking out like a sore thumb.