“The beauty of collaboration between older and younger generations is that we combine strength with wisdom — a surefire way to accomplish more for the glory of God.”
– Brett Harris
“Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
– Isaac Newton
“The company owner doesn’t need to win. The best idea does.”
– John C. Maxwell,
The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
– Basketball coach Phil Jackson
“Consciously or not, we feel and internalize what the space tells us about how to work. When you walk into most offices, the space tells you that it’s meant for a group of people to work alone. Closed-off desks sprout off of lonely hallways, and in a few obligatory conference rooms a huge table ensures that people are safely separated from one another.”
– David Kelley, TV Producer
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
– Henry Ford
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller
Although there are mission-sending organizations all over the world, the goal of evangelism remains largely unfulfilled. One of the main reasons is that for the most part, Christians don’t work together. In organizations, the focus on the part of the whole rather than the whole itself ultimately creates division and a lack of unity. When we become self-focused, prideful and independent, Satan is satisfied and ready to turn a minor injury into a gaping wound leaving behind a wake of hurt feelings and ultimately a lack of productivity. We often see this reflected with broken relationships in our organizations. When we work independently, not only do we prevent a work far greater than ourselves from being done, we also deprive ourselves of the joy the Lord brings when we work together for His glory.
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
– Romans 12:3-8
Collaboration is essential to building unity and strength in our organization. God has exciting blessings to bestow on us if we realize that as Romans 12:6 just stated, we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. We only have the gifts and talents we have, because the Lord graced us with them – to do His work beyond what we would be able to do on our own.
God’s Spirit is unleashed when His children come together, lay down their selves, and work to carry out His plan. What a tremendous way to love one another by opening our hearts and minds to the possibility that God is using the people in our paths to bring Him a far greater glory than we can see in our mind.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
– Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
– Romans 1:11-12
Oh Sovereign God, help us to encourage one another so that we may glorify you by our thoughts and deeds to fulfill the glorious plan that is beyond anything we can imagine. Thank you for the opportunity to serve together transforming lives in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Melissa Lobozzo
Southern Field Director
Inspirational