Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up.
But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. If two lie down together, they will be warm, but a person alone will not be warm. An enemy might defeat one person, but two people together can defend themselves; a rope that is woven of three strings is hard to break” (NCV).
This passage has a lot to say about serving with others in ministry, but it can be summarized in three statements:
1. When we work together, we maximize our impact.
We get more done. Do you want to make a global impact with your life? Then do it with other people in your church, because what we do together as the Body of Christ will be far more significant than what we do individually. One drop of rain doesn’t make a big difference on a desert, but a million drops of rain can turn that desert into a garden.
2. When we work together, we minimize our failure.
As Verse 10 asks, when you’re serving on your own and you fall down, who’s going to pick you up? When we serve together and one person falls down, the other people just pick him up. Doesn’t that make a simple but profound point? We need to work with other people to encourage each other and minimize our failures.
3. When we work together, we mobilize our resources.
When we pool our resources and funds, they go further. You can share the blanket, and two people will stay warm instead of one.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus taught, “I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me” (NCV).
Talk It Over
Why do we so often want to do something ourselves rather than work with others?
In what area have you been serving where your impact could be maximized by working with a team?
Is anything keeping you from investing your time, energy, and resources in your church? If so, why?
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