This can pose a serious problem for the butterfly. This Gulf Fritillary (photo above) can drink fluid when it is on a fairly flat surface. But it cannot insert its split proboscis into a flower to drink nectar.
The proboscis must be fused together for the butterfly to drink properly. The two tubes must work as a unit.
The Gulf Fritillary above is drinking from a small yellow center flower of a zinnia. If its proboscis was split, it could not drink from this flower.
Pastor Steve (First Christian Church of Starke) was talking today about how the body of Christ must work as a complete unit. He used a portion of the letter to the Roman Christians and portion of a letter to the Christian church at Corinth to illustrate this truth. The text (the verses Steve read) of those letters are copied below.
Sadly, too often Christians fail to work as a body and cause problems such as the split proboscis. Our ability to 'feed' and grow becomes limited.
When we disagree, often attention and focus is taken off of Christ Jesus and placed on other things that may or may not be important. We need to ask ourselves if they are so important that it's worth the heartache the 'subject of disagreement' can bring. If it takes focus off of Christ, it either isn't important OR the motivation (or basis) of the 'problem' is not truly for God but selfish motivation.
We can disagree on important things for the wrong reason and by doing so take focus off of God and place it upon ourselves and our insistence that we are 'right' and others are 'wrong'. (This can happen between Christians and Christians or between non-Christians and Christians.)
We can disagree on unimportant things (such as the color of the carpet in the church building) and by doing so, fail God completely!
For Example:
Christians disagree upon how often communion should be served. Jesus didn't say how often to take communtion. Disagreements of this type takes focus off of the purpose of communion and places it upon differences between Christian churches and upon which is right and which is wrong. Christians are all children of God. Christians are all forgiven for their disobedience. Whether Baptist, Methodist, or whatever name (or not taking a name) God's Christian churchs use, we're all God's children and we hurt God's heart when we squabble and hurt each other. Instead of disagreeing to the point of an argument and hard feelings, Christians should encourage each other to partake of communion in the spirit that Jesus taught us and not to get into disagreements upon how often or when it should be offered.
I need to remember to disagree only on things that are important enough to disagree upon AND to make sure that the motivation is pure; that the disagreement is for God's sake, not my own.
Romans 12:4-5
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
I Cor. 12:12-27
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
(Note; Bible text is often copied from www.bible.com.)
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