Working with others can be tough. We have different ideas, different personalities and different ways of getting things done. But we’re called to work together. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he said: ‘Some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels’ (v. 11 NLT). Then he went on to say, ‘Live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions…Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.’ And these words apply to us today. The Bible tells us that we’re all a part of the body of Christ. We all have different roles in that body, but when we all work together we can function (have a read of 1 Corinthians 12). So, to successfully work alongside others, we need to stop striving for our own individual goals. When a mistake is made, we need to refuse to start the blame game. We also need to be forgiving. And when someone hurts us, we shouldn’t let bitterness take root and start to grow in our lives. We can build others up with our words, offer praise rather than criticism and help when they’re struggling. The Bible says: ‘It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, but if there’s no one to help, tough!’ (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 MSG). By working together, we can help bring God’s kingdom to Earth. We can help each other when we’re struggling and use our gifts to work for something bigger than we could do on our own. When we learn to work together, we can achieve so much more.

What Now?

Think about those you work alongside, either in a job or serving in church. Write down the different gifts and skills you all bring. Then send a message to people to say you appreciate what they bring to the team.