When We Work Together

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley 

Individualism will destroy your family, marriage, organization, and our world. Why? Simply because everything becomes self-focused. It’s not about what’s good for us, but rather what’s good for me. It’s not about working together for a common purpose. Instead, it’s about what I want or think that I need to be happy.

Years ago, I learned that what I did for my marriage made my marriage better. To do that I needed to put what I wanted aside. It didn’t mean that my needs or wants weren’t fulfilled but rather they were fulfilled in the context of the marriage. I learned that sometimes I had to say no to myself for my marriage to be better. I learned that life wasn’t about me, it was about us.

John 3:16 says “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” If you look at this closely, you’ll quickly realize it was others focused. God sent His Son for you and me. It wasn’t what was good for God or Jesus, it was what was good for you and I. We can learn a lot from this, but will we?

We tell our children that they can be anything they want to be, but is that a good thing? Are we instilling a life that will be self-focused? Rather than seeking out God and his plan, we focus upon what we want. Is that part of our problem in this world today. When I focus on my wants, I put others aside. It’s not about what’s good for us, it’s what’s good for me. That kind of thinking and living will bring destruction to the whole.

Interestingly, sports teams have learned that there are no individual heroes win games, it still takes the team. When they learn to work together, they become a powerful force. But here’s the most important aspect of any team, it’s the question of who you’re playing for. When I remember that Christ has asked me to seek first His kingdom that sets the direction of everything I do. Think about it.