I was having a conversation this week about our effectiveness and being prepared to combine and connect up our gifts and skills with others to have the greatest impact.
Connection with other people in this way is like being in a team with a common goal and vision, and if we choose our connections wisely being in a team is good tor us. It helps us to connect, to learn more about ourselves, to gain leadership skills, to give to others and to hone our people skills. If we struggle with trusting people, our pride, communicating well or have negative attitudes and a poor work ethic then being part of a team will quickly highlight these areas in our lives, which is great because we then get to choose whether we will grow and challenge ourselves to be better.
My husband and I are a team. We have grown to learn how to work together, to rely on each others strengths and to fill in the gaps with one another’s weaknesses. We seek to help one another to get things done and to fulfil the dreams God has placed in our hearts. We are better together!
But “better together” didn’t just happen overnight. Much like a soccer or football team, there’s been times we’ve had to change strategy, to regroup, to choose to deal with our own issues, hone our skills in an area to make things work better and to choose to keep running when the going has gotten tough.
We’ve discovered that we really need to rely on God our coach, for directives on how to “play” well and how to navigate as our team has increased with children, friends, work and church family. We’ve also learnt that we don’t have to “fly solo”, because God will always bring people around us if our hearts are open and we allow Him to. (Psalm 68:6)
We know that we need to constantly be strengthening and building the basic team of Jesus and us, and then He’ll add from there. For without that solid foundation and connection it’s much more likely to all topple over and we’ll end up in an exhausted heap.
Helen Keller an American author, political activist and lecturer who was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree knew the importance of teamwork. Her many accomplishments were made possible through the connection and friendship of her instructor and teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller said, “walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light, for “alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”.
Today as you go through your day don’t forget to check how your team is looking and seek to strengthen it? How is the foundational team of you and Jesus going? Have you taken some time to listen and hang out with Him recently; to hear His plans and strategy? How are the connections around you; your partner, family, your church, work or social group going? Because being part of a team means making a commitment to one another, determining to fill in the gaps when someone else can’t, to back each other up, to believe in one another, to be wise about our choice of team and to learn to trust other people.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Prayer: Lord thank you that I can choose to be part of your team and family. Please help me to see just how great that team is, and to also have wisdom and an open heart to know who the other people you would have me connect with. I don’t have to fly solo anymore. In Jesus name Amen.
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