TEAMWORK

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” 1 Cor. 3:6.

We have always heard it said that, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” In the Bible verse Paul reminds the believers in the Corinthian Church that the work of the Kingdom of God requires teamwork. In a powerful and direct way he told them that they were on the same team with God.

This reminder was necessary because there were deep divisions, jealousy and quarrelling among the believers. There were also loyalty issues. In I Cor. 1:12 Paul identified four fan clubs in the very diverse church. The Paul fan club was most likely made up of Gentiles who took Paul’s teaching of Christian freedom as a license to do as they liked. Apollos’ fan club may have been the intellectuals who wanted to turn Christianity into a philosophy rather than a religion. The Peter fan club could have been the legalists who were determined to exalt the law and demean grace, and those who claimed to “follow Christ” might have been a self-righteous group who saw themselves as the only true Christians.

There is absolutely no need for church members to pit one minister against another, or form a clique around a minister, or favour one minister over another; but that was the reality in Corinth. Consequently, the energy of the church was leaking out and the focus was blurred.

Unfortunately, this kind of spirit is all around us today, and has been an enduring problem in Church and State. We encounter divisions in the pew, vestry, classroom, bedroom, staffroom, boardroom, dressing-room, dining room, and the club house. While technology and the Internet are creating a feeling of greater closeness and togetherness in the world, we are simultaneously experiencing a powerful wind of nationalism, protectionism, individualism, isolationism and partisanship. From the Brexit vote to the election of the 45th POTUS and the management and selection of the West Indies Cricket team, we are witnessing an increasingly broken and divided world.

The strength and effectiveness of teamwork was demonstrated when the seven priests marched around the walls of Jericho, which then collapsed (Joshua 6), and when four persons combined their energies and wisdom to obtain healing for the paralyzed man in Mark 2. 

Building walls and selecting who can be a part of our community will not make the world a happier place. In the Body of Christ are all sorts and conditions of men and women who are individually and specifically gifted; but irrespective of denominational affiliation or the level of maturity we must work together because we are on the same team.

Teamwork will necessitate the submerging of self-interest and self-promotion and embracing the willingness to be a team player. This is difficult but necessary. Mark you, that doesn’t mean functioning below one’s capacity or standard. It will require giving one’s best without trying to outdo others. An excellent soloist, while giving the best, has to apply self-restraint when singing in a choir. The beauty of the singing depends a lot on teamwork.

Thought: We can accomplish more together than we can alone. (Our Daily Bread for February 1, 2017)

Prayer Focus: For the willingness to be a team player and not a Lone Ranger