Every part of the body of Christ is valued. Because of who we are, our stories of salvation, the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us, and the ways we serve one another, we each bring unique things to the body. Even though we have different roles, we all have the same guiding purpose.

Each of us can find out where we best fit in the body when we join a local church. Therefore, the first thing we must do is get involved with a great church full of people who love Jesus. Then we will start to live out what Paul talks about in Ephesians 4:21-24: “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like ­God—­truly righteous and holy.”

As this process happens to us individually, we will find that it will then help the “little body” of the local church grow, and this process will produce more healthy churches that will spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through the global church to the rest of the world. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the ­world—­like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). So shine!