For most of my life, I have had the privilege of good health. Competitive swimming defined my mental, physical, and spiritual life for nearly two decades. When I was 24, I began to have debilitating knee pain. What I thought would be a routine doctor’s visit turned into emergency knee surgery. Within a week, I was wheelchair-bound with a prognosis of a 9-month recovery. An innately independent person, I suddenly could not drive, walk, shower, or even stand up without moments of excruciating assistance. 

One week after my surgery, I woke up to a devastation that would outlast my physical recovery. The Borderline shooting had taken the lives of a number of young adults in our community, including a woman I loved and mentored. Then the next day, wildfires would break out, leaving members of our community financially limping for years. Suddenly I felt not only helpless but useless. What good was I to the body of Christ since I could not function physically to meet the needs of others? 

That following year gave me time to reflect not only on my capacities but that of the body of Christ. So often, we can look down on those we perceive as weak: children, those with special abilities, widows, the sick, the poor, and the powerless. Being in a wheelchair, even for a brief stint, highlighted how this world was not made for the weak or disadvantaged. But that is not true of God’s Kingdom. In the Kingdom of God, the weak are honored because the reality is that we are all weak. We are all in need of not only the restoring power of Jesus but the help of His people. God often hides wisdom and joy and insight and goodness in those the world would call weak. They get the place of honor at the table of God and also need to be valued in our church community.

Today’s action step: In your time with the Lord, take two minutes to reflect on a member of the body of Christ the world may consider weak – this could be a child, a member with special abilities, a widow, someone in poverty, someone with illness or addiction. How can you actively place honor on this member this week? Ask God to bless you with insight on what you can do to encourage this person, and then do it!