WORK WITH ME

“Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.” – Exodus 17:12-13.

The Exodus 17 passage is a prime example of teamwork, of working together. The background is that the Israelites complained about their situation: “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death” (Exodus 16:3).  Moses was at his wit’s end and to top it off, the Amalekites had come to fight with Israel in Rephidim.  Moses, however, had a plan.  He sent out Joshua with some men to fight them while he stood at the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield with his staff raised in the air. As long as Moses kept his hands up, Joshua prevailed.  But Moses got tired. So Aaron and Hur pitched in.  They knew the importance of Moses’ task, saw his need, and jumped in to help.

We all need people to pitch in at one time or another. We are called to collaborate with each other because, first, God’s work is too large and complex to be accomplished without collaboration. And second, God’s work is too important for it to be dependent upon any particular person or group.

In First Corinthians 12:12, the apostle Paul compared the Church to the human body, with different parts equipped to perform different functions. The Message Translation (MSG) says this: “You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything…Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink….”

As believers, we must say goodbye to our old, independent way of thinking and learn to be integrated into a greater whole. We need each other, for we are incomplete without each other’s input and gifts. When God’s people come together as a team to achieve a common goal, when we become singularly focused, working together as a team, amazing things can happen.   

As you walk through life, remember you’re not supposed to do everything alone. You need other people to walk alongside you, and others also need you. As you share the burden of your work with fellow Christians, you’ll find that you accomplish more for the glory of God.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it so important to work with other believers? 
2. What are some of the benefits of having meaningful relationships with other believers?