Teamwork

I Peter 5:5-7

Some professional teams spend millions of dollars hiring superstar players in an effort to win the national championship. One gets the impression that wins can be bought if one has enough money, and Professional sports associations have limited the amount that a team can spend in an effort to prevent the championship becoming just a matter of what team has the richest owner.

Rather frequently, the team which has spent the most trying to recruit the top players doesn’t win. Everyone expects the superstar to win the game, but unlike golf, winning most games depends on a team effort. Assuming the players are similarly skilled, the team that works most effectively together will always win. Most superstars became superstars as a result of a team that supported them, and when the team is not their, their tremendous talent or skill is not enough. They still need the person who gets little credit to set up the opportunity.

The successful quarterback has to depend on his line to protect him when he makes a pass, and his receivers to make the catch. If he doesn’t he will find it necessary to run the ball himself, every time, and shortly the other team knows what to expect and who to watch.

A basket ball player who doesn’t trust the others to control the ball will not pass it around and the other team can successfully double or triple team him to win the game. If he doesn’t rust the others to guard their man, he will be pulled out of position and allow the other team to score. The same principles apply to any team sport. Success depends on learning to trust the other person’s skill and allowing him to do his job, literally to submit to the other person.

God intended the both the marriage and the church to be team efforts. Before he commanded the wife to submit to her husband in Ephesians 5:22, speaking to every Christian in Ephesians 5:21, he instructed, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” While it is important that one takes the lead, the leaders success is dependent on the rest of the team, whether it is his wife, or the rest of the church. It is the picture that Peter is giving here.

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (I Peter 5:5)

The younger and less skilled need to learn from and work with the older and more mature members of the team, while the older ones must learn to depend on the younger to do their job. If a player consistently refuses to work with the team, hogging the ball, the coach may be forced to bench him, or even remove him from the team because he will not cooperate. God is the greatest coach of all. If we will trust him completely, and lay aside our pride, he will enable us to attain what is best for the team, and for us.

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:6-7)

Conflict between players, or a rumor that a player is unhappy and planning to go to another team is enough to mess up the teamwork, greatly increasing the probability of defeat. A player who ignores the rules, or one who is distracted by family problems, grades, or a chance to go to another team may not devote his best effort to the team. Each player needs to concentrate on not allowing such things to distract him. Satan will try to introduce as many distractions as possible because he knows he can’t win without cheating.