Team…Work

 

One ox is a huge help to the farmer. The strength of this animal pulls the plow through the field so much easier than if the farmer had to pull it alone. For a small garden, the farmer and his ox could complete its work quickly and efficiently.

But…

What if you had acres and acres to plow and only one ox? Even though you are very grateful to have the ox, when you look at the amount of work to be done it might feel like you and your ox are just a drop in the bucket.

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Mark and I say that phrase so often that I hear my kids repeating it when they are trying to convince their siblings to help them accomplish something that they don’t want to do on their own.

Could they do it on their own…yes. But… the work would be long and hard and maybe even a little lonely.

Sometimes the Farmer needs one ox to do a job, and sometimes the He needs a team of them.

Finding our place in the Body of Christ, using the spiritual gifts and talents that He has given us to share His love, and continually putting on the humility and grace that is required by teamwork are the labors of a Christian.

The project we work on and where we do it are not as important as the heart from which we operate.

When a team of oxen get together the farmer is sure to yoke them long before they get to the field. If he doesn’t they will run all over the place and destroy the ground. The yoke organizes them and distributes the weight of the plow evenly across the animals. A team of oxen can pull a much larger plow than one ox…but only because of the yoke.

As Christians we have to choose whether or not to join the team. We have to choose to put on the yoke and pull the plow with our fellow believers. And most importantly, we have to choose to be humble and gracious with one another every day.

The sense of fulfillment received while working shoulder to shoulder with other believers can be one of the greatest joys experienced in this life. This has definitely been true for me.

Lord, help us discover our spiritual gifts and talents, and use them to share your love in practical ways. Help us hear your call to join a team of Christians working towards the great commission. And most importantly, help us remember that the we had to be forgiven just as much as the person working next to us.