Working Together For The Greater Good

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” — Philippians 1:27.

Casey Stengel made a comment about the challenge of managing a professional baseball team. His observation applies to life in general. He said, “It’s easy to get good players. Getting’ em to play together, that’s the hard part.”

You can place people together in a team, but the true bonds of teamwork form when the individuals work together towards the same goal.  This is true in our faith journey as well.  We can sit side-by-side with people in our congregation every Sunday for years, and yet we don’t start to build relationships until we work together outside the church auditorium.  When we do life together or work with each other towards a common goal, that’s when we can learn from each other and support one another through our faith journeys. While it’s essential for us to take responsibility for our own faith, it’s also essential for us to form bonds of relationship with others, so that we can grow together as God intended.

One of the best-known native textile art in North America is the weaving of Navajo Indian blankets and rugs. Navajo Native American Indian rugs are made from wool using an ancient style where colored threads are woven together in a pattern. On the surface, some threads stretch vertically while others stretch horizontally. In many ways, each thread can appear unique until the elements are woven into a whole. This is similar to the way God knits together His people. We are not the same. We have many personalities and interests. On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be a pattern. We are being knit together in love by God Himself. We don’t oppose each other; we just accomplish different aspects of the same mission.

As He builds the church, God calls each person to focus on the role He gives us as individuals. He wants us to be the thread He has created. We might look different from others. We may not agree. But as we surrender our lives to God, we will realize that He has a special pattern for the whole body, knitting us together according to His design.

As we trust Him, He can harmonize each person with other believers. Seek to fulfill God’s special design for you. Don’t look at other believers as rivals or competitors but as parts of the same fabric knit together by God into something beautiful.

What happens when every Christian goes from sitting on the premises to standing on the promises and working for the purposes of the Lord? This is not something you do alone. We are called together to work together in Christ, connected and united.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you been trying to accomplish too much work on your own? What has been the effect?
2. How does/should the Church exemplify working together to accomplish more for the glory of God?
3. How can you get people to help you in the work God wants you to do? Who can you help?