Every Part Matters | 1 Corinthians 12:22
Devotional
“On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,”
Paul uses the human body to explain how the church works. Though believers have different backgrounds, gifts, and responsibilities, they are all empowered by the same Spirit and each has an important role to play.
This symbolism highlights the importance of diversity within the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:17 notes that if the whole body were an eye, it wouldn’t hear. Likewise, if the whole body were an ear, it wouldn’t smell.
What a beautiful metaphor.
We must all recognize that God intentionally made us unique, just as He intentionally arranged the human body. While some people may consider certain body parts more important, like the eye being greater than the foot or the hand being greater than the knee, the human body needs all parts to function properly.
It is all important.
Similarly, all Christians have a role to play in the church. From healing to administering or helping to speaking in tongues, everyone has a unique gift in the Spirit.
While Paul’s metaphor is about the body of Christ, the principle also applies to our literal bodies. Just as each Christian serves a specific function in the church, each part of our body serves a purpose.
This is why we must be well rounded in our training. How many times have you skipped legs because you didn’t want to do it? I’ve been there dozens of times. Or how many times have you skipped core at the end of a workout? I did for years.
This mentality usually comes from one of two reasons: we either think those exercises are too hard and don’t want to do them, or we don’t believe those muscles are as important as the others.
Both of those ways of thinking should be stopped in their tracks.
Workout
It’s important that we do not neglect any part of the body. That’s why as we continue this program, I will introduce exercises you wouldn’t typically see in a workout program. A good example is the hip abduction raises this week.
We have to treat all workouts with the same intensity. Whether legs or arms, or a muscle we love vs a muscle we dislike, they are equally important. No one wants to be known as the guy with chicken legs and a big upper body. No one wants to have big quads and calves only to have small biceps either.
We don’t train just for appearance. We train to build a capable, well-rounded body.
Day One (Upper):
Bench Press: 4x5
Pendlay Row: 4x12
DB Shoulder Press: 3x10
Wide-grip Lat Pulldown: 3x14
Cable Overhead Tricep Ext.: 3x10
Day Two (Lower):
Squat: 4x5
Weighted Back Ext.: 3x8
DB Calf Raise: 3x10
DB Side Bend: 3x10
Farmer’s Carry: 3 to failure (70% BW)
Day Three (Upper):
Push Press: 4x5
Weighted Pull-up: 4x11
Close-grip Incline Bench: 4x15
One-arm DB Row: 3x8
Cable Overhead Tricep Ext.: 3x10
Day Four (Lower):
Deadlift: 4x5
Pause Squat: 3x12
Hip Abduction Raise: 3x10
Hanging Leg Raise: 3x10
Farmer’s Carry: 3 to failure (70% BW)