Binding up the Weak Parts

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

I Corinthians 12:24b-26 ESV

I try to be a “runner.” My goal is to run 5K in under 30 minutes, and I’m getting pretty close to that. It may not seem like much for you veteran runners, but for someone that is 46 years old who hasn’t spent my life running, I’m pretty proud of myself. Another reason it’s a challenge (besides the fact that I’m inching toward the half-century mark) is that I have bad feet. I have almost no arch to my feet, so have orthotics in my running shoes. My right foot is especially bad, so my ankle has started collapsing. I also have a bunion on my right foot that is causing my big toe to turn inward. This isn’t a very spiritual subject, but I have a point, so bear with me!

I have to give special attention to the weaker parts of my body to be able to reach my goal. Now, I have run a couple of 5K races and have never won a prize, but I reached the finished line, which was my personal goal. I also got t-shirts, which I love to wear! To train for those races, and really just to maintain my exercise regime, I have to make sure I always have the orthotics in my running shoes. If my ankle is bothering me, I bind it up to give it support so that the pounding on the pavement and the weight of my body doesn’t cause it to give way and injure it further. I also do special exercises, lifting up and down on the front of my feet to strengthen my weak ankles (this also helps me to avoid the excruciating pain of shin splintz, which I suffered when training for my first race- OUCH!).

All of us, as believers in Jesus, are called to run a race. Paul talks about running with endurance, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, and running so as to win the prize to which we were called heavenward.  But, we cannot do it alone. There are times when we are weak. When we’re in pain or weary from the race. Obstacles cause us to stumble and even fall. We desperately need each other to persevere. I can tell you that the times I’m able to run with a friend, I am always able to go farther and faster. I am more motivated to reach the finish line, because we’re going together.

Maybe you’re the strong one. You’ve been through tough times, but God is showering you with blessings right now and it’s smooth sailing. Not even a stitch in your side. Take time to notice that there are others running with you. You may have even passed him on the road. He may have turned an ankle and is struggling to just put one foot in front of another. Oh, dear one, don’t leave him there to struggle.  If he needs his ankle bound up, you do the binding. If he needs a helping hand, you reach out. If he needs a word of encouragement, tell him, “Oh friend, you can do this! I’ve been there. I know what it feels like. Let’s do this together. Our trainer is on the sidelines cheering us on and he will meet us at the end with the prize.”

We are called to be like Jesus, our trainer (you know, the author and finisher of our faith). He reached out to the weak, the marginalized, the brokenhearted. No one was an interruption or an embarrassment. As a matter of fact, some of my favorite stories about Jesus was how he lovingly dealt with the “interruptions!” Psalm 147:3 says,

He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.

Pray and ask the Lord to open your eyes to a brother or sister in Christ that is weakened right now. Ask that Jesus would help you to reach out to them the way He would. He said that we would do greater things than He did on earth, because of the Spirit He gave us (Hallelujah! Thank you for your wonderful grace, Lord Jesus!). Our help may be just what he/she needs to keep running this race.