Working As A Team To Go For The Gold

One of my favorite things ever is currently underway this summer.  The Summer Olympic Games!!!  For two weeks, the world is glued to this sports event with countries competing in all sorts of events.  Team sports. Solo sports. A little bit of everything.  Last night, I watched the U.S. swimming team win gold which included Michael Phelps returning for another go round. This team working as one to go out there and win the gold.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alonend if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Teammates.  Team members.  Lifting one another up.  Working as a team.  A lot of comparisons to how we should be in our Christian lives just like we are seeing in the Olympics every day.  We work as a team in this tough world.  When we see gold winnings teams in the Olympics, you can clearly see that they are the definition of a TEAM. Each team member has their part.  Each member has strengths and weaknesses.  What may be a weakness for another member is a strength for another.  So, that is helped to overcome the weakness in the other team member. They lift one another.  Encourage one another. Celebrate together. When we're walking this Christian path, we're a team. Each of us have our gift with what God has blessed us to do.  We're able to do what another person isn't able to do.  Likewise, another person is able to do things that we aren't able to do. God uses each of us for our talents, skills, personalities, and such to further His kingdom. Then, we're formed on a team to help balance out one another to form one strong team.

Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." 

Be an encourager.  It is often a negative world out there sadly. When your team member is down, lift them up.  Your words might be the only encouraging words that they have heard all day.  On the flip side, be careful with negative words.  There is the saying that goes around of "be kind.  For everyone is fighting a battle".  What if your negative words catch them on a day where they're just clinging trying not to break?  Your words can either be an uplifting and help them cling tighter or the negative words can make them not want to cling tight and just want to let loose.

Just like in the Olympics, things are just not going to go as planned at times.  A teammate is going to be sitting on the side having a tough time after a bad performance or routine.  How many times have we seen those Olympic athletes that struggled on a day?  Their teammate goes and sits with them. Be the teammate that goes over and sits with them.  Even if you don't have the words to help, just be there. That carries into our everyday Christian lives. We might have a family member or friend that has that look of shock on their face of "well, that didn't go well" or "that was horrible". Everyone needs that sharpening of iron to keep on going at it.  

We're destined for the greatest gold, God's gold!