 By Michele Waters|Published Date: February 15, 2010
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God is active in everyone and everything. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 HCSB
Our physical body, in order to function, requires food and oxygen to reach every aspect of it. We’ve trillions of interacting cells; each requires energy in order to carry on life. Every breath we take in and exhale, every morsel of food and sip of water we ingest, and every beat of our heart work together to fuel the millions of chemical reactions taking place. We can’t consciously pick and choose the cells to activate at any particular time; they’re all in it together depending upon each other for the life duration of our earthly vessel.
A musical ensemble interacts in a way similar to a breathing, living organism. The conductor brings it together by channeling “the common spirit and human energy to bring to life the unified ideal” (David Giardiniere). Whether vocal or instrumental, each individual is responsible to align his or her individual pitch with that of the pitches of all participants not only “melodically” but “harmonically”. This has to become a way of life for those who desire to bring together a great masterpiece.
God desires unity within our being as he orchestrates all the parts together to move and flow. It is the unity of His Holy Spirit bonding us with Him. For us also to be united together in community, our “intonation” will need continual evaluation and adjustment as it intertwines with God and others. Our relationships in the Body of Christ can be the difference between making music or noise.
Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples “to be one as we are one.” As a community of believers, our hearts should be as one with others—consistent in passion and in service to one another—as each contributing artist of the orchestra must become one. But maintaining this unity can be hard work (Eph. 4:3).
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12 that we have different kinds of gifts, services, and workings but it is the same God, the same Lord, the same Spirit who gives them to and works in all men for the “common good”. Just as we can’t feed only the cells of our body we so choose or the orchestra members can’t be concerned with his or her own performance alone, we cannot pick and choose what areas of life we want to open up to God’s Spirit and keep the others to ourselves. We must learn to think like Christ in all areas of our lives—striving for perfection in all aspects of the masterpiece, to bring our whole life into unity with Him. The same must be true in our work to build unity in the Church. We all have something to contribute, and we must become the best person each of us can be at our individual calling.
As we seek the mind of Christ, the conductor of all our facets of life, we begin to see the world as God sees it. We work at developing and honing each individual act or purpose in our life, as well as all our relationships with others. This is critical to achieving unity within our own self and within the community God has placed us. Unified people working together in a unified community can generate works of power and impact that single individuals cannot. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
For not only is the Spirit the conductor of each individual life in Christ but of the whole of Creation. How is your masterpiece coming along? Are you keeping your eyes and ears on the conductor? Are the pitch and tone aligned with God’s Word? Are all the parts of your being moving and flowing in unity with God’s purpose for your life? “He started the whole world singing a song. The words and the music were there all along!” (Bill and Gloria Gaither)
For more information on this topic, get the book,
 The Community of the King, by Howard A Snyder, from our online store. Or read the article, “All that Separates Must Converge,” by Leon J. Podles.
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