Ecclesiastes 4.12
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
One of Aesop’s fables is about a father who had seven sons. The father gave each son a stick and then asked each son to break his stick. No problem; all the sticks were easily broken. Then the father took another seven sticks and bound them together. He asked each of his seven sons to break the sticks. Not one of them could break the sticks which had been bound together as one.
Such is the strength of unity.
Long before Aesop’s fables were penned, Solomon gave us the same words of wisdom: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4.12).
Together, we are stronger. Much stronger. Apart we are weaker. Much weaker. When the Christian community stands firm together — in one spirit and with one mind — we can accomplish much more than when we stand alone. The bottom line is that we need each other. The Lord designed us for community. He calls us into relationship with each other. We need the accountability, encouragement, and support of others in the body of Christ.
Everyone knows this, of course. It isn’t a secret that teamwork and collaboration is much more effective than individuals acting alone, each according to their own agenda. There is no shortage of books and seminars that teach teamwork; these resources have been abundantly available for years. Nevertheless, true and effective teamwork is hard to find, even within the church.
The reason why real teamwork is so rare is that people tend to be self-centered. Most people stubbornly cling to their own opinions and plans rather than fully commit to a team effort. But there is no place in the kingdom for self-centeredness. Scripture tells us:
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).
The Lord is calling.
