It Takes a Team--Whatsoever Ye Do, Do It Heartily Unto the Lord

As a teacher of 7th graders, I spend much time teaching each class period my most important classroom philosophy--"We Are A TEAM."  That means that if every person from teacher to students in the room does their part, then class will flow smoothly, all will be happier, and more will be achieved.  That means we all have the power to join together and help one another or we have the power to selfishly think only of ourselves and destroy each other.  Truly in a team, what affects one, affects all.  The attitudes and behaviors that each bring into the room affect everyone either positively or negatively.  In a team, one person or one job is not any better or greater than another.  Each job responsibility works together to achieve the ultimate goal.

One needs to look no further than 1 Corinthians chapter 12, to know that the heart and working of the Lord follows the same teaching about His children being a TEAM.  As Paul teaches His Word to the Corinthians, it is clear that the Lord states that we are one body in Christ.  However, He gifts us all differently so that when we are put together we can each use the spiritual gifts and talents that He has given us to accomplish His work as a team.  One gift or talent is not better than another.  We are to be content with the abilities that He has given us and not covet the gifts of others.  If we all had the same gift, how boring that would be, and much of His work would not be done.  We are to complement each other well for His ultimate glory.  We are to serve Him and others with a happy, servant's heart wherever we are and in whatever He has called us to do.  There is no job too big or too small that cannot be accomplished for Him with His gifting and the right heart when His people as one body work together.  This is the essence and heart of ministry. (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17)

This is another lesson that I was truly reminded of in vivid detail while in Hungary.  What does it take to keep a Christian camp up and running?  The answer is a TEAM of believers using their gifts and talents for Him.  Counselors, technology crew, food service, teachers, lifeguards, English teachers, Soccer coaches, translators, music ministry, Baseball coaches, games coordinators, grounds keepers, Basketball coaches, video crew, puppet and drama teams, construction crew, nurses, prayer and financial supporters for those that are serving, and countless other ministries that I am probably even forgetting (but not on purpose) all joined together for the cause of Christ, to reach the campers to come to Jesus as Savior and grow in Him.  It takes a TEAM.  The same is true with any ministry outreach and local church.  It's every member using their gifts, doing their part, for the cause of Christ.

I had the blessing and the pleasure of meeting many people while in Hungary.  Some of the greatest blessings were hearing the stories of God and His work in the testimonies and life stories of others. One special servant of the Lord truly captured my heart.  He worked in the cafeteria, serving food daily with a smile.  He made sure that everyone was happy and had enough.  For 3 meals a day, he made sure that I was delivered a meal that met my dietary needs of gluten free.  He did much to bless my heart in his service.  I did not know much about him until the big picnic dinner on the soccer field when I had a chance to talk to him more in depth.  He told both my teaching partner and I in separate conversations some of his testimony.  He was a student at the Bible Institute in Hungary.  He loved the classes and learning.  However, he felt that he was not good at many things like teaching and preaching and other ministries.  However, there is one thing that he could do.  He could serve the food with a smile.  He could make people happy in serving the food.  He could serve the Lord by serving the food to others.  In serving the food, he was able to help people learn about Jesus, even if he could not be a teacher or counselor like others to tell them.  He was happy that this was something that God gave him to do.  He had a place to serve and he had gratitude for being able to serve in that way.  My typed words do not give his story the merit that they deserve.  You just have to see him tell it and see the smile on his face for it to have the greatest impact.  My heart was overjoyed for him and humbled in hearing his story.  What a heart of service that he possessed for the Lord.  On Friday, my teaching partner and I taught our English class campers a unit on food.  My teaching partner had him tell our campers how he uses food to serve the Lord and others.  What an awesome idea!

 

Jesus often sent His followers off to teach others about Him in twos.  I personally believe that there is many reasons for that He chose to pair them up and send them out.  First, I believe that it made for a system of accountability so that they each could look after each other in their spiritual walk with Him.  Secondly, I believe that it was so that they could support each other to keep going through the ups and downs of ministry.  In my life, I have been blessed to have my BFF as the most wonderful ministry partner of all.  She has helped me stay accountable to the Lord and His ministry.  She has helped me with the ups and downs of ministry as well, encouraging me not to give up.  More than anything her gentle spirit and true heart of selflessness has taught me so much and I truly could stand to learn even more from her.  Together we came up with the idea of crocheting Hungarian flag colored bookmarks for the campers in Hungary.  She was so excited about the idea because she was not able to come to Hungary with me.  She viewed this project as her way of serving the Lord and the children of Hungary.  She served with a smile and even retaught me how to crochet because I had not crocheted for years.  The first thing she wanted to know upon my return home from Hungary was if the campers liked the bookmarks.  I told her that they did, though they used them as bracelets and headbands, which is okay.  Regardless, the campers loved them and she served them with a happy heart from West Virginia.  She was more than excited to hear that they liked them.

 

The phrase, "BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED" truly fits here in this blog post.  Wherever God has us and whatever we are doing, we can serve Him in the big and the small.  How?  It is all about the attitude of the heart and stepping up into action.  Do we view everything that we do as a way to serve Him and show Him to others?  Do we do these everyday things with a happy heart of love and service for the Lord and others or do we murmur and complain while doing them?  I personally could stand to do a better job at seeing every opportunity, every day, as a means of service.  I personally could stand to do a better job at serving in a selfless motive for the Lord and others and not living my day selfishly thinking about myself.  I have been growing in these areas but there still is much for me to learn and apply here.  It is all about having an eternal perspective versus a temporal one.  The things that last are the things that we do for God and others with a pure motive of service.  Lord, help me live with an eternal perspective in mind.

 

I leave you with a timely quote that I found this week, "So do your everyday and your ordinary.  Godliness is found and formed in those places.  No man or woman greatly used by God has escaped them.  Great men and women of God have transformed the mundane, turning neighborhoods into mission fields, parenting into launching the next generation of God's voices, legal work into loving those most hurting, waiting tables into serving and loving in such a way that people see our God."  Jennie Allen