Daily Devotionals

Are We There Yet? Week 3 Tuesday

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

For about a year, I was an English major in college. I wrote many, many papers during that time. One thing that I remember clearly is having a purpose statement with each paper I wrote. I learned very quickly that any successful project needed to have a purpose statement. Why? I needed to understand the purpose of the project I was working on, and my professors needed to understand my purpose while grading my assignments. Purpose brings clarity. It helps us make wise decisions. It helps us know what steps to take. This is particularly true when we think about dating and marriage, especially when we talk about these relationships with the children in our lives. We must help them understand the purpose of dating and marriage and live out this purpose in our own dating and marriage relationships as well. 

As we study Scripture, it becomes clear that the purpose of marriage is to reflect Christ. Throughout the New Testament, two similar metaphors can be found: the church as the body of Christ, and husbands and wives as part of a body. Just like each part of a body works together for a unified purpose, the church is to be unified, and husbands and wives are also to be unified. God calls for oneness. He calls for this oneness and working together for a common purpose, glorifying Him. Reminding readers of this, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (verse 27). This was written about the church, but it is also true of husbands and wives, as Scripture teaches that husbands and wives are also part of the same body (Ephesians 5). This unity, this oneness that reflects Christ, is one of the most important things to consider when dating and considering marriage for ourselves and our children. We must teach our children to look for someone with similar goals to glorify God and make Him known. 

One of the things that comes between unity and oneness is arguing and unwillingness to consider the needs of those around us. Unity is, however, something we must fight for. We must teach our children to fight for it and look for someone who is also dedicated to unity and glorifying God as well. After all, marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship with the church.

Moving Toward Action

Take time to read the verses from the “Going Deeper” section, as well as Ephesians 5:21-33. After reading these verses, take some time to write about dating and marriage. What does Scripture teach is the purpose or goal of finding someone to spend our lives with? Why is unity so important? As you think about the purposes and goals of dating and marriage, write them down in a notebook or journal. Find some time to talk to the children in your life about these purposes. Let these purposes and goals spark conversation about what exactly dating and marriage is and what Scripture teaches about it.

Going Deeper

Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-31 (NLT)

The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.