Celebrate! An LGBTQ+ Devotional

Day 1 of 5: Celebrate Diversity

But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
-1 Corinthians 12:20-26 (NASB)

One of the issues I (as well as many people I know) struggle with is recognizing my own value. The world at large tends to value certain kinds of people (heterosexual, cisgender, male, white, able-bodied, etc.), and the Church tends to follow suit. When someone doesn’t fit into all those categories, the world uses it as an excuse to treat them worse, ignore them, or forget just how valuable they are. After all, how many times do we hear stories of any of these groups of people lifted up in church? And, when we do, how often are they part of a special day or month rather than an average worship? I can easily count the number of times I’ve been to worship and heard queer experiences lifted up on a day that wasn’t Pride Sunday or National Coming Out Day. Even the most well-meaning church can make us feel tokenized or invisible, and therefore unimportant.

This passage, however, reminds us of just how important we are to God. God doesn’t hold one person above another, but lifts us up and honors us just as we are. Differences aren’t to be ignored, but honored; for we are all part of Christ’s body, and those differences are required for the body to function. What’s more, because we all play a role, we are all reliant on each other. All are valuable, thus those who aren’t being lifted up deserve more attention so that all are properly honored.

As you go about your week, remember that God not only appreciates diversity, but also knows it is a vital part of living into Christ. Celebrate yourself as an important part of Christ’s body!

Ashley DeTar Birt

Day 1 of 5: Celebrate Diversity

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