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"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing-life forevermore. " (Psalm 133)
It's an awesome thing when people work together toward a common goal. An athletic team that truly works as a team can accomplish things far beyond expectations. A business where all employees cooperate and are productive will likely achieve great success: In like manner, the church has the potential for accomplishing great things in God's sight. The condition, however, is that we work together. Since we are the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:27), we must learn that 1) everyone has a place in the body and 2) that everyone must do the work he/she is capable of doing. Please consider the following observations.
When the church works together. . .
. There will be less bickering and more forgiveness. (Philippians 4:2)
. There will be less criticism and more encouragement. (Hebrews 10:24)
. There will be less excuses and more evangelism. (Acts 2:46, 47)
. There will be less selfishness and more selflessness. (Philippians 2:3,4)
. There will be less discussion of personal preferences and more Bible study and seeking to know the will of God. (Ephesians 5:17)
. There will be less worrying about the future and more prayer for the strength and courage to face the future. (I Thessalonians 5:17).
. There will be less dissatisfaction with worship and more concentration of God himself within our worship (John 4:24) . There will be less individual glory and more glory to God. (Matthew 5:16)
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility, and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. "
(Ephesians 4:1-3)
Lance Cordle
Church of Christ, Calvert City, KY | 
