ARE YOU ON SOMEONE'S TEAM?

I’ve loved sports for as long as I can remember. I like participating in all kinds of sports and I enjoy watching sporting events on TV or live. It’s impressive to see athletes who have developed their skills so they can compete at a high level. This morning I was thinking about the specific aspect of sports, where they’re divided into two categories: TEAM and INDIVIDUAL. The only real difference between the two categories is when it comes time to compete how many athletes are on the field, court, ice, etc. In INDIVIDUAL sports, where there’s only one person competing, there’s always a “team” of coaches, trainers, sports psychologists, nutritionists, and others who encourage the maximum performance of the athlete.  One of the pro sports I follow the closest is golf. There are not too many sports which are more individual, and yet most golfers have a “team” to support them including: a caddie, coach, and trainer. Many pro golfers even have a sports psychologist to help them get and keep their mind right. So far I am only referencing the part of the golfer’s team focused on playing the best golf. Most golfers also have a team to manage the business side of things. 

In several of my recent blogs I have been writing about moving from good to great and from fruit to much fruit in our lives. Even though we are individuals, and I have been writing about maximizing the expression of the God-given gifts in our lives, it’s absolutely necessary for us to be surrounded by a “team” of people who will support us, speak encouragement when we’re down, and be a helpful source of wisdom and insights. The better this “team” functions in our life the more likely we will achieve the maximum expression of God’s gifts. When we’re trying to do life on our own, without a “team,” it will be a struggle. Even if we possess significant gifts and see flashes of greatness/fruitfulness, it will still be a futile fight. Personally, without the support of others, I think it is nearly impossible to sustain high performance in any pursuit. 

Rather than looking at how you can get people on your “team” to help you move towards greatness and fruitfulness, I want to look at three ways we can serve on someone else’s team to help them maximize their God-given gifts:

·         SUPPORT through prayer

·         SPEAK the truth in love

·         SERVE where and when needed

Before I expound on these three areas, which I will do in future posts, I want to talk about how get on someone’s “team.” While there’s a level of support we offer to all Christ followers, as part of our responsibility to the body of Christ, I believe there’s an elevated [extra] level of support we give to a few specific people God puts on our heart. This may be for a short or long period of time. Since this is very much a spiritual thing, we need to listen to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to direct us to the person he would have us connect with on a “team” level. I think many times the Holy Spirit will direct you towards someone who is involved in a ministry which is significant to you. It’s a ministry which impacts you on a deeper level because it touches your heart. If the person the Holy Spirit directs you to is someone you don’t know very well, look for an opportunity to connect over coffee. Now you may or may not ever directly tell the person, “Hey, I am on your team.” What’s more important is that you function as a member of their team and lend your support in the three ways we'll look at in the next post. Until then, here’s a few verses which remind us of how important we are to each other. 

Ephesians 4:29 NLT “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Hebrews 10:24 NLT “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.”

2 Timothy 1:6 NIV “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”