In the Bible, the church is often called the “body of Christ.” What Jesus Christ did when he was here in his physical body, he wants his followers to continue to do today. We are the body of Christ here on Earth.

The Bible says, “Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others” (Romans 12:4-5 TLB).

Everybody is needed in the body of Christ. It takes every one of us to make it complete.

It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. When you put together a puzzle and one piece is missing, what are you going to notice? The one missing piece.

That’s the way it is in the body of Christ. Everyone is needed. And if even one “small” piece is missing, you’ll notice.

You may say, “I’m just a toenail in the body of Christ.” Have you ever lost a toenail? You notice it! I once dropped a 12-pound weight on a toenail. It was just a tiny part of my body, but I sure noticed it was missing for about six months.

Never confuse prominence and significance. Something can be prominent but not significant. My nose is prominent—it’s one of the first things people see when they look at me. But it’s not significant. I could lose my nose and keep on living for many years. But there are things inside me that no one ever sees, like my liver, heart, and lungs. They’re not prominent, but they are very significant. If I lost them, I’d die.

You may not feel prominent in the body of Christ, but you are significant. Christ’s body here on Earth has many parts—and each one of them is needed. No matter who you are and what your role in Christ’s body is, you have important work to do!