Thursday, March 5, 2015

Tug of War and the Unity of the Church

I love a good game of tug of war. Whether at camp or a youth group event, tug of war is a blast. It builds a sense of community, cooperation and provides a lot of laughs for both sides of the match.

In participating in a tug of war, you quickly realize that your team needs to coordinate. Agreeing on common timing, direction, and responsibilities on the rope allow the team to create the greatest amount of pull. If team members pull in different directions, at different times, while disagreeing on responsibilities, they are no match for the opponent. The team must be on the same page.

The same is true in the church. God has called us all to pull in the same direction. We pull in different areas of the rope, fulfilling different roles, with different gifts, but the direction is the same. We are called to tell the world about the good news of Jesus.

The Apostle Paul instructed the church in Philippi to pull in the same direction. In Philippians 2:2, Paul writes, “…make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and of one mind.” In the tug of war of life, Paul teaches the church to pull in the same direction, following the Spirit's direction.

As you worship this morning, recognize that the Christians worshiping with you are on your team. The Spirit is calling us all to pull in the same direction for the sake of the gospel. So, grab your part of the rope and give a tug. Serve, pray, give, encourage and share. As you do, you will see the Spirit do great things in and through the church. You will also participate in the victory that is guaranteed in Jesus Christ.

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