One match, All alone. Can it ignite a fire? No. Even a match needs at least one other object if it is to fulfill it’s function.

One person. All alone. Can they accomplish their dream?

God intends for us to function as a body. To join together and be joined together to bring about His purposes. What an amazing gift God has given us. Let’s examine the blessing of joints!

How joints work in our physical bodies

Ephesians 4:16: from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies. What does every joint supply? In our physical body our joints supply mobility, flexibility, stability and balance. Doctors have identified three major types of joints. The majority of our joints fall into the classification of synovial joints. These are part of a system of ligaments, cartilage and a membrane which actually secretes a fluid to help the joints stay lubricated. The six types of synovial joints are: the hinge joint (like our elbow-it functions like a door hinge); the ball and socket joint (our hips: allow for large range of motion); the condyloid joint (the knee; it is where the bones that are fit together with an odd shape); the pivot joint (where one bone rotates around another allowing the elbow to turn our arm in an out); the saddle joint (our thumb: allows it to rotate in its many positions); and gliding joints (our wrists: allowing a wide variety of movement but not much distance ).

The second type of joints are called cartilaginous joints which are made up of only cartilage—these are the type of joints that allow for movement of our ribs and sternum.

A third type of joint is called fibrous joints. These joints do not allow for any movement in adults, but when we are infants they do many things. For example they t help our skull to mold for birth..

We need each of these types of joints to allow our body to function at its optimum level. God, in His wisdom and creativity knew exactly what we needed!

The Bible uses the symbol of joints as the connecting points of relationship to the body of Christ. If we are to “grow up in all things into Him who is the Head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies”, we need to examine how important these joinings are in our lives.

What can a joint do?

Joints provide flexibility: the ability to bend, change directions to avoid injury or to stay on the course. They help us to navigate any changes the Head desires. They also help us with mobility: the ability to move ahead, to go to new places, movement and motion. Imagine what it would be like having no joints? Our life would be severely limited.

Joints help add stability and balance from which we can better maintain our stance during adverse conditions like climbing a hill or in fierce winds. Joints also allow us to extend and reach farther than we could without them. The same is true of the joinings in the Lord, we are able to accomplish so much more together than we are if we are separated.

What happens if joints don’t work properly?

If joint health is not addressed, pain occurs, motion and movement is hindered and the fullness of life is stunted. We know that injury to our joints as children can show up as osteoarthritis later in life—in other words, injury to our joints can influence us for many years. If there have been injuries to the joining of parents, siblings or other relationships, the body of Christ will be hindered in its growth. This is why people are often reluctant to be “joined” to a small group, a church or accept other opportunities to serve. They may have been injured at their joining point. God knows how to heal these types of injuries. But prevention is always the best medicine.

A joint cannot operate by itself. It is by design, created to work together with the other parts of the body. Paul continues to say that as the joints effectively work together by which every part does its share it causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. In other words, as we are properly joined with other believers, the whole body shall grow.

You may be wondering why I spent so much time listing the different types of joints we have in our bodies. It is because I want us to understand that we too, in our lives, need various types of relationships. Each one is important and valuable for our own growth and the growth of others.

How joints work in our Spiritual Body”

Just as in the natural body there are specific joints for specific functions, so is there in the body of Christ. God gives connections that will provide growth to the various parts of our lives. We have connections that open new ideas and allow us to receive fresh thoughts. We have connections that help take us farther in our walk. We have connections that join us with other parts of the extended body of Christ. We also have some main connections from which our life usually pivots. Each of these lives or connections, if allowed the full range of movement will foster growth in our lives and in the lives to whom we are connected.

Paul, in writing to the Colossians says: They do not hold tightly to Christ, the head. It is from him that all the parts of the body are cared for and held together. So it grows in the way God wants it to grow. (Colossians 2:19) We must first be joined to the Head. Once we are joined to the head we need then to be joined to the body. As God declared in the Garden of Eden to Adam, it is not good for man to be alone, so He knows that it is not good for us to live in a world in which we are disconnected from one another.

God intends for his Body to be connected to each other, closely. I have chided myself at times for seeming so needy for others, and yet, that is precisely the way God made you and me!

We need connections to those who teach us, pray for us, love us, encourage us, stimulate us, exhort us to grow, change and be all that we can be. We also need to be connections to help others do the same. Many times we will find these connections to be intertwined—those we teach, also teach us etc.

We probably won’t find all these things in one person—but that is the beauty of the body of Christ. He gives us so many opportunities to be joined with so many of His people. The connections work both ways. We will find ourselves being connected to people who need us to help them to grow as well.

We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:14-16

Written by: Martha Rodman