TEAMWORK

“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ESV)

Friendship is an intriguing connection. Relationships in general begin simple and basic, but grow to be complicated and even overwhelming. Friendships are ever changing and challenging. Every year it becomes easier to not make that weekly, monthly, or yearly call in order to catch up and stay in touch. It also seems to get harder and harder to meet new people and actually invest time to get to know each other.

However, the Bible encourages us to not live a lonely, secluded life. In the verse above we are simply told one of the benefits of having good friends. When the going gets tough it is always helpful to have a good friend to support you. Ecclesiastes says that we are stronger when we work together rather than alone. My first reaction is to write this verse off as common sense. The principle behind the passage is simple, right?

The more I think about this principle, the more I realize how many excuses I use to contradict this message weekly. The main reason that keeps me from experiencing the strength of working together is the overwhelming desire to do it myself. Today I drove back from a trip to Indiana. Before leaving I got verbal directions on a quicker route home from a friend. After driving 40 minutes, I had absolutely no idea if I was still going the right direction. It took me another hour until I called to find out if I was still on the right track. Luckily I somehow stayed on the right path home, but I could have easily driven over an hour in the complete wrong direction.

Keeping good friends close can prevent costly decisions. Being a good friend certainly is not an effortless task, but having friends that will step though life with us is more beneficial than we will ever be able to calculate.

This week is such a great time to thank people in our lives that have helped us when we needed it. It is also a great time to be there for someone that could use an extra hand.

Have a great Thanksgiving Chalk Talkers and enjoy your time off this week with friends and family.

-Matt Simmonds

Teamwork

In Romans Chapter 12, the Apostle Paul calls those who are believers in Christ to a great responsibility, to apply the righteousness of God in our own lives which in turn can affect many others. Paul states in Romans 12:4 “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have all the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others.” In this verse Paul is relating Christians to members of a human body; all parts have different functions but are critical to a healthy body.

NASCAR racing has grown tremendously as sport in the last decade. These racing teams have to be synchronized all the way from the owner to the driver to the pit crew. If you have ever seen a NASCAR race the teamwork that takes place during a pit stop is impressive. The car rolls in and in less than 15 seconds each member of the team performs one task to turn the car over to continue racing. It could be putting gas in, carrying tires, running the impact wrench or encouraging and teaching the driver. How well they perform it and if they are doing the job best suited to them depends on if that car will continue working at top form or if it will falter. As believers in Christ we need to find our job, our task that we will do in the pit. Gods has gifted us in specific areas whether it is teaching, hospitality, compassion, missions, finance and there are many other areas. No job or service is more important than the other; each must happen for the church to be healthy and grow.

What is your job in the pit? If you know, I encourage you to continue your service and pray that you are doing it to the best of your ability and not just at 50%. Can you imagine if the pit crew worker tightened the lug nuts on the tires just half way? If you are unsure of your role and where you can contribute, then I would pray and ask God to show you and make connections in the church (talk to those in children’s education, missions, local out reach) to see where you could use your skills to make a difference in your church or community.

Paul stated that “each member belongs to all the other,” so as your gifts will benefit others, there will be a time in your life, a trial, “a storm” and you may greatly need to draw on the gifts or service of others. And at that time you will truly appreciate the “body of Christ” and what it means to give and receive joyfully!

- Trish