My brother and I have always (somewhat) gotten along. There have been quite a few moments throughout the years, especially while we were growing up, when we would butt heads over a certain issue. He had his own way of doing things, his own opinions, and his own set of expectations of the outcome in any given situation. The same could be said of me. Being the oldest, my instinct is to be protective and bossy. Naturally, Travis didn’t care to be bossed around by someone he considered his equal. Growing up in the same household, our Dad had the expectation that we would complete whatever tasks he put before us. I always enjoyed working by myself because I could get the task done and be about my business. Then there were other times my dad forced and expected us to work together. If something didn’t get done, we both would be disciplined. I could spend all day attempting to explain to my Dad what didn’t get done was my brother’s fault but, it didn’t matter. We were expected to learn to work together to accomplish that task. Sometimes that required me bending to my brothers intentions. Other times, we did things my way. In those moments, we both realized, if I failed, he failed. And vice versa. Working together wasn’t necessarily my favorite thing to do but it forced us to be considerate of the other and work together to accomplish a certain task.
The work of the kingdom is the same way. God has blessed us all with certain talents and abilities. In my church, I am the pastor. I could work hospitality, lead the music, teach a class, or any number of tasks. But my priority must be placed on doing what I have been tasked to do. That is, bring a message that will encourage, challenged, and minister to those under the sound of my voice. I could busy myself doing other task’s, but I’ve had to learn to lean on those around me to help accomplish the entire work of the kingdom. Early in my tenure, I learned, I can’t do everything. Even more importantly, God never intended the work of the kingdom to be a one man/woman show. God has tasked us all to minister to the lost and invite them into a personal relationship with their Maker. When everyone is pulling their weight no one person becomes overly fatigued or experiences burn out. Ecclesiastes 4:9 states, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.” It would take one person an extremely long time to build a house by themselves. With two working to accomplish the same work, the job will be completed in half the time. Every time you add another person, the work time and load become even smaller until the weight/burden of the job is evenly distributed. The more we work together, the more we get done!
Closing remarks and encouragement: If I succeed, you succeed…and vice versa. Friend, we’re all in this together. God doesn’t expect us to do the work of the kingdom all by ourselves. There will be moments when you’ll be forced to cooperate and bend to the will of someone else. There will be times when you’ll be forced to lean on others to bear the brunt of the burden because you’re in a weak season. There are other seasons when you’ll be expected to carry more of the burden. Rather than get frustrated because someone isn’t doing their part, we can use that energy helping them get back up. When you fall, I pray someone treats you in the same manner. Together, we can accomplish so much more!!
Have a blessed week, my friends!
**Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash