READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:20-27; EPHESIANS 2:10

Have you ever seen a patchwork quilt project? When leftover fabric is too small to make something on its own, it can be combined with other leftover fabrics in a patchwork design to create something unique, beautiful…and eco-friendly! Patchwork projects are incredibly versatile—you can make quilts, bags, clothes, and so much more. And each project is so incredibly unique because it’s made of a stunning hodgepodge of colorful and diverse fabrics.

And you know what? God is working on a patchwork project too. He is fabricating His family: the church. It’s made up of Christians—people who have put their trust in Jesus to save them from sin and death—who are all different from each other.

In God’s patchwork church, some are young and some are old, some are rich and some are poor, some can sing…and some can’t! We all have different abilities and come from different walks of life, but God sews us together as “the body of Christ”—His church (1 Corinthians 12:27).

It’s so important for us to remember that we need each other. As we live in community with our siblings in Christ, learning about Jesus together and working alongside each other, He is making us into a beautiful work of art. As Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

So, as Christians, when our broken world makes us feel like small, insignificant scraps, we can remember that we are each an important part of God’s beautiful patchwork family. • A. W. Smith

• What are some of the unique ways you have seen God sew you and other Christians together?

• What are your favorite things about some of your siblings in Christ? What things make you similar and different from each other? Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for these people and for the ways He is working at weaving all our beautiful differences together.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV)