Cooperation

At a work event I attended last week, the key thread that ran through all the presentations was the concept of cooperation. More than ever, with shrinking budgets and widening divisions, it seems people are realizing that we must be able to get along and work together to further our causes, businesses, or whatever else we’re trying to accomplish.

A visual example of this happened on my evening commute recently. I was on a two-lane highway in traffic that had come to a complete halt due to a wreck up ahead. An emergency vehicle came blaring up from behind with no way to get around the traffic jam. Almost instantaneously all the cars in the right lane moved to the right shoulder (myself included - I am a notoriously slow driver!), and all the cars in the left lane moved to the left shoulder, providing a clear, wide path down the middle of the highway for the emergency vehicle to pass.

The cooperation this took astounded me, especially since I’ve seen many cars on this highway not move over for emergency vehicles. It was beautiful. We all worked together to help those affected by the wreck receive assistance as quickly as possible. If even a few vehicles had not cooperated, it would have delayed help getting to the scene of the crash. We all had a part to play, and we all chose to play it.

It made me think of how we all have a part to play in the body of Christ, but that we have to choose cooperation in order to work together. If any of us aren’t doing our part, the mission suffers. We have to choose to love each other through differences. We have to choose to push down our individual egos for the good of the body and the Great Commission. We have to be willing to step outside our comfort zone and use our unique gifts and talents even when it’s inconvenient and scary. Because if we can’t model cooperation, how can we live in peace together, and what kind of witnesses can we be?

Friends, I don’t want to be the car that won’t move over. I want to play my part. I want to have a cooperative spirit. And if you’re reading this, I know you do, too. Father, in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, guide us to work in harmony, to contribute the giftings that are unique to each of us, and to prepare the way for Your glory and Your return. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

Where do you feel we need a greater commitment to cooperation within the body of Christ?

What is one way you can foster a greater degree of cooperation in your own faith community? How can you encourage others to do the same?

Are there any talents you’ve been holding back that could contribute to the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.