Here are the clichés we’ve all heard, but they are true:
* There is no “I” in TEAM
* A Team is only as strong as its weakest link
* TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More
* A job worth doing is worth doing together
But let’s face it: Sometimes it’s a challenge to be a part of a team. Especially one where there are so many different backgrounds and abilities. Sometimes, we begin grumbling toward one another, or wonder why so and so gets more spotlight than we do, or wonder why we weren’t asked to do a solo. Or, sometimes, we may feel like when there are so many people, why are we important? Maybe you’ve felt like nobody would even notice if you weren’t there.
Last week, I heard this story (don’t worry—all my stories aren’t going to be about football, but bear with me through one more):
There was a coach on a local pee-wee football team. He had led a team to a city championship. There was a star athlete on that team – we’ll call him Joe. Joe had breakaway speed. He was a natural…a star! Once the team won the championship, other higher level sports divisions were looking at Joe, and recruiting him. Joe went to one of those teams. The next season, that championship team didn’t win the championship, but grew together as a team. This season, Joe came back and wanted to play for the original team again, but he didn’t want to practice with them, didn’t want to go through all of the conditioning. He just wanted to come in and play and win. With his breakaway speed, he could win for the team—maybe even lead them to another city championship. The coach told him that if he didn’t come to practice and didn’t condition with the rest of the team, he wouldn’t play. Joe told the coach that there were plenty of other teams recruiting him. The coach told Joe to play for one of those teams. In essence, he said, “I’m not a star-maker. I’m a team builder.”
Here’s what Romans 12:3 “The Message” has to say about our team – “the body” and our role in it:
3I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4 -6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
What He asks of us is simply this: Be yourself, be satisfied with who God made you to be and your role in His Body, and don’t miss out on being a part of the whole.
The chapter opens with this statement:
1 -2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
He just wants us: ordinary, everyday, sleeping, eating, going-to-work, walking-around people. He desires to cultivate us into one body. But, even though we are ordinary, we are incredibly important. Each of us is called to serve a function of the body. The body is incomplete without us in our place. Isn’t it incredible—the God of the Universe desires US to be a part of His great plan? He wants to use us—broken and imperfect as we are. He doesn’t need us…he WANTS us. And we NEED Him and each other—that’s how He created us to be.
So, the next time you feel like your voice doesn’t really add to the choir, or you won’t be missed in a rehearsal, remember that you are a part of the whole. The next time you feel a twinge of jealousy, remember that our purpose is not about any individual, but about glorifying God. You are a member of this team—His team. We’re not here to produce stars – the God of the Universe is the star of this show. We’re here to develop co-laborers in the journey! You are an important part of that.
Lord, help us to be accountable to one another. Help us to realize the importance of our role in this wonderful plan. Help us to be faithful to who You made us to be, to our calling, and to those around us that You have placed us in service and fellowship with. You are the Master Designer. You know that we aren’t happy until we’re a part of Your plan and Your Kingdom work. Increase that desire in us daily. Help us to grow deeper—to move from the superficial into the deep waters. Help us to give you every part of our lives—even the ordinary and mundane. Use it to Your Glory!
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