In the early 70's I met a man who had lost his arm and part of his shoulder serving in the military. Was he any less of a man because he had no arm? No, in fact, because he lost it valiantly I thought him to be more of a man.
His wife told me that sometimes people had mocked him but she was proud of him. He was a very nice man and was not wallowed down in self pity. He did the best he could with his good arm, and it was pretty good!
I dated a man for a while who wore hearing aids. He was very dependant upon them. He, too, had served in the military and suffered nerve damage from ammunition going off by his head. Was he any less of a man, just because he had lost some of his hearing parts? No.
I knew a man who went to our church and he had just stubs for arms. He was a victim of a birth defect. The rest of him was okay, but he struggled having no hands. But yet this man loved Jesus and would raise his partial arms up in the air to praise Him.
There are some in wheelchairs and even bedfast because of limitations they have. But can these people pray? Most often they can. And are they any less? No, in God's eyes, and in ours it should be that they are special and precious to Him, even in their limitations.
The Body of Christ has missing Body parts, but is it any less the Bride of Christ? Is it any less His Body? Not all the functions are in place but yet each part that is there is special and has a special role to play. Because not all are in place, sometimes we have to stretch our efforts to make up for the missing parts. Maybe we have been damaged in the fight for life. The devil is quite evil and the greatest deceiver. But God wills for all His parts to be in their place. So then should we.
I believe there will be a great healing revival as the Day of the Lord approaches and we will see many missing body parts restored. It will be symbolic and prophetic of what He is doing in the Spirit.
We all have missing or non-functional Body (of Christ) parts. But instead of cursing them, or acting like it doesn't matter when it does, or even saying that everyone should be like we are with those missing parts, let's believe God for the miracles and fullness we need. We won't get miracles if we don't believe for them.
It is an insult to God to say we are okay when we are not and He has provided for us. Some use their limitations for the glory of God. How inspiring it is to see people not sit on their talents but use even the little and limited parts they have for His glory. It brings Him great honor.
But let's not call whole that which is not yet whole. All of us in the Body of Christ have missing parts and when we come together and function as a whole, great is the glory that will be seen.
Even with missing parts, our value is the same. When used for God's glory, our parts can carry even more weight of His glory. But let's not short change what should be right. Press on with your call to be all that He wills you to be. Let's look to revive and reclaim those missing parts!
Don't believe the lie of no value when His death was offered for you. There is deliverance from death and we will have fully functional new bodies in Heaven - and be One. Some of us will even have to wait for that to know total release but in the meantime, let's press on for the reality of our needs.
Denial is saying something is okay when it is not. Lying is saying something is complete when it's not. God wants our fullness and our wholeness. He is able. He is making us able. Jesus demonstrated on earth His desire for our wholeness.
Let's not give in when we are partial yet still functional. Let's pursue Him for the full glory. He does understand when we do our best with what we have. He respects that. But His Best is really our best.
The Body must come to completion. The last days will bring us into faith for the "Lazarus" or resurrection/restoration anointing. Let us wholly glorify Him!
The longer we wait and hold back and deny things, the harder it is to fight our end time battles. We must fight for the faith of wholeness and attain it. There is a full place for everyone. We must have compassion for the weak but keep believing for His Best.