November 16. Listing, Leaning and Limping.

As leaders of a company, group, or family it is one of our responsibilities to nurture the body of people we lead. But just like our physical bodies, parts get tired, worn out, and even broken or torn sometimes. When a body part is injured, the rest of the body is affected.

The body compensates for the weakness by limping, leaning, and listing to one side or the other. The compensation our bodies do is part of the limiting process. The balance system is off when this occurs, and our brains get distracted. What are you doing to help those on your team to nurture them where they might be off a little or a lot?

If we do not take care of nurturing the person back to wholeness, we might lose them. Investing in those that need nurturing might be the best investment we can make. The cost of training a new team member is high in both productivity, time, and other resources.

The investment of nurturing team members can remove the limits. The cost of nurturing can be as little as some of our genuinely spent time with those who need it. Stop and think about your team. Has anyone been limping along recently?

Maybe you can provide a temporary brace or crutch to heal them. What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called the body of the church. We are what Jesus died on the cross for. So how are we nurturing each other? We read, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:16 NIV.

Are we being a supporting ligament to one another? Am I supposed to be helping others even when I am the one who is hurting? That seems like it might be a difficult thing to do. But God’s path for us is not necessarily supposed to be easy.

Life is full of challenges which limit us physically and mentally. Many times, we need a crutch or brace to help hold us up or even support us. We as the body of the church can provide one another that support. Now that is starting to sound like the church I want to be associated with.

That sounds like the people that I want to be in a relationship with. Where are you hurting and limping along? Maybe there is someone near to you that has been put in your life for just such a moment. Where can you be the crutch someone else needs for just a six-week period?

Crutches do not get used for the long term. People’s broken legs heal, and the crutches are put away until they are needed again. What is the first thing that you can do to support someone in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, your creation is amazing. You give us amazing capacities to love but we can get trapped by fear and pain when we are broken. Find us now and help us to encourage one another in this place. Let your comfort be the compassion we give to one another.

Find us broken and send your Holy Spirit to guide us to be the healing touch for one another in love and caring words. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen