For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
— 1 Corinthians 12:12

Although it may be possible to run a church, business, or organization single-handedly, it is certainly not the most efficient or effective method of operation. Nevertheless, countless people have tried to do so with minimal success. Inevitably, however, these same people eventually get so tired that they just can’t run the whole show anymore. After a while, even the most stalwart become weary of carrying never-ending responsibility alone.

Doing things alone is a course of action that guarantees your venture will never be large. You may do a top-quality job that touches a very small market, but your lack of a team limits your ability to touch very many people at one time. You can run the operation single-handedly on a small scale, but you won’t be able to build a larger church, business, or organization without the manpower needed to touch and serve many people. The philosophy of doing it all single-handedly limits the growth of any organization — not to mention the fact that it can physically wear you out and make you old at an early age!

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In First Corinthians 12:12, the apostle Paul compared the Church to the human body, with different parts that are equipped to perform different functions. He says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”

Paul uses the word “many” to describe the various parts of the body. This word is translated from the Greek word polus, which describes a huge quantity. But the word polus not only accentuates the fact that there are many members; it also presents the idea that there is great variety among the members.

I like how The Message Bible says it:

You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts — limbs, organs, cells — but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It is exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said goodbye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything.

As believers, we must say goodbye to our old, independent way of thinking and learn how to be integrated into a greater whole. We need each other, for without each other’s input and gifts, we are incomplete.

When God’s people come together as a team to achieve a common goal, their unified effort brings divine power and world-transforming moves of God to the earth! Doctrine, culture, language, and creeds will never bring unity to the Church. But when we become single-focused, working together as a team to win the world to Jesus Christ, that is when genuine unity will come to the Church. And unity is such a powerful force!

For some, unity is a vague, dream-like wish for a day when Christians sweetly smile at each other and sing in harmony; disagreements are resolved and eliminated; and we all say, think, and do the same identical things. But the Bible never promises that a day will come when we all agree about everything! This is a false concept of unity. It’s a fantasy that will never be reached on this earth.

So what is unity? Unity occurs when people are united in action and in passion for a common cause. Their shared goal is so strong that it removes hostilities, puts away disagreements, and gives previously divided people a reason to take their place alongside each other. When this occurs, different gifts, talents, and anointings become connected together, and the result is an amazing river of divine power that achieves the supernatural and accomplishes the impossible.

I can tell you that in our own ministry organization, our leadership team is very gifted, very diverse, and from many different denominational and cultural backgrounds; yet we are extremely united as a ministry. But it is not our culture, language, or doctrine that unites us — it is our common goal to get the Gospel to as many people as we can by God’s grace. This single purpose pulls our whole diverse staff together in phenomenal unity, which is one of the reasons we have had such powerful results. We may be many in number and diverse in gifts and talents, but we are one in purpose.

It is simply a fact that phenomenal results are reaped when concentrated attention is given to building this kind of teamwork. People who become cemented together by a common goal produce unity. And when this kind of chemistry is at work among your team members in your church, ministry, business, or organization, that team becomes a mighty force that helps you reach the goals and visions God has placed in your heart.

So don’t try to fulfill your dream or run your church, ministry, business, or organization single-handedly. If you do, you’ll only serve to physically, mentally, and spiritually exhaust yourself. Why don’t you instead allow God to bring other team members to you who can help you fulfill your task? Don’t settle for accomplishing your goal single-handedly on a small scale. Develop the manpower to build a larger church, business, or organization with enough hands to touch and serve many people!

As other members join your team and begin to use their gifts and talents to press toward the common goal, you’ll find that their help greatly enhances both your effectiveness and your ability to impact this world for God. So why don’t you ask God today to bring you the individuals you need to help you fulfill your God-given assignment?

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want to thank You in advance for bringing me the team members I need to fulfill the vision You have put in my heart. I don’t want to run this race by myself. I realize that even though I can do part of my assigned task alone, the greatest results can only be achieved with a team. Help me adjust my thinking so that I can think like a team member. Lead my team and me into a true sense of unity so that maximum power can be released through us to a world that desperately needs Jesus.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God has made me a part of an awesome team. Every day we are becoming better and better, and as a result of the unity that exists between us, we are achieving more than we ever dreamed. So much power is released as we strive together to reach the common purpose God has given us. In fact, the impossible is possible, and the supernatural seems natural! With the help of the Holy Spirit, strife is removed and harmony is at work as we all reach toward our common, God-given goal!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever tried to run everything single-handedly and discovered that this was a very difficult way to operate the business, ministry, or department over which the Lord has placed you?

2. When you look around, can you see the gifted, talented people whom God has brought to help you fulfill your God-given dream? Are you allowing them to use their gifts to their full potential? Are you giving them the freedom to use the ideas, insights, and abilities God has given to them? If not, why aren’t you tapping into the treasures God has placed within these important people in your life?

3. What is the single most important goal for your church, ministry, business, or organization? Do you have unity on your team regarding that goal? Does everyone on the team know it is your primary objective so they can rally around it?