The Smallest Member Matters

The Smallest Member Matters

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:12-25;

Introduction:

During our last Youth Sunday service, Nikki spoke to the youth and told them that they could make a difference in this world. She stressed that it was not about how old they were; where they lived; how much money they had; or anything else that we adults use to differentiate between classes of people. She told them that what mattered was what they had within them and the choices they made. She gave several examples of children changing the world of others around them. This morning I want to follow through on what Nikki told us and stress to each of you that our smallest member (our youth) matters. This morning my message title is “The Smallest Member Matters.”

So let me start by telling you about the first pedicure I got with Nikki prior to our leaving for our short vacation to the beach. (Kids a pedicure is when someone professionally cleans and care for your feet.) When I first sat down in the chair there were two older ladies there who looked a little surprised to see a man there with his wife. One of the women thought it was funny and asked if I was doing it for Nikki for Mother’s Day – as if Nikki had made me do it. The other lady just stared at me as if I was in jeopardy of losing my man card by coming in the place. I assume the men of her generation would not ever be found getting a pedicure in public. I thought it was kind of funny as she stared at me off and on the whole time I was there. I admit I enjoyed the experience until the woman started beating on my legs. I asked the lady why she was doing that and what it had to do with my feet and she stated that it was to improve the circulation in my legs. I told her the way she was beating on them I probably would not have any circulation left. As she continued to work on my feet I watched the things she did and I thought about how we, especially men, do not necessarily take care of our feet, the smallest members of our body. It’s almost like since they are always in shoes no one sees them except the person who loves us the most. It does not matter if they have years of dead skin, corns, and calluses on them. It does not matter if the toenails are misshapen and folding under because they have not been clipped in a while. So what if the toes point in all sorts of different directions? No one knows but you and the people who love you so it should not matter. But it does matter! Your feet matters! Your toes especially matter! Now you may ask what does my having and living through my first pedicure have to do with the message for this morning. Well, as this is youth Sunday I want you to think about this Church as one body and our youth as it smallest members. I want you to see them as members who matter; that what they do matters. Back when I was a child the older members would always says that we (the youth) were the Church of tomorrow but I stand before you this morning to tell you that the youth are the Church of today. If we treat them as the church of tomorrow, their tomorrows will never arise and when they are our age they will still be baby Christians drinking milk! Let me use this analogy and then I will show you what the word of God says about it. I want to spend just a few minutes and talk about some of the smallest members of our natural body – our toes. Although they are often hidden and are small they play a major role in our ability to move from one place to another and our ability to stand. Consider these facts about your toes, the smallest members of your body:

• Although many people focus on the arches of the feet, it is actually the toes that need the focus. The toes, especially the great toe, play a vital role in normal arch functioning, both in the shock absorption and propulsion phases of walking. When you walk, your toes flex up on landing so the foot lands with the arch high like a shock absorber at full extension. Then the toes lower and the arch flattens dissipating shock in a control manner.

• The great toe being able to stabilize the arch in midstance and takeoff is critical for a functioning gait and normal arch function. When a person lose their great toe due to injury or infection they are left with a foot that is very unstable, with no ability to absorb shock and with limited to no propulsive properties.