What could we accomplish if we worked together?
Sadly that is a question that is hardly ever answered. People are not sure what they can do if they work together because it is rare that you ever find a group of people that are capable of working together. This is unfortunate because great things can be accomplished when you are working in unity.
Genesis chapter 11 tells us an amazing story that most have already heard: The Tower of Babel. I was reading this story the other day and a few things stood out to me that have really helped me to understand how the process of accomplishing goals really works.
1. They communicated...
Gen 11:3-4
They were able to communicate their plan. If you cannot communicate your vision to others, then they will never know what it is. (Most people cant't read minds.)
2. They had a plan...
Gen 11:3
A plan is the birth canal of a dream. It's the man with a plan, not the dream, that is successful. Look at Joseph, for example. Pharaoh was the man with the dream, but he had no idea what to do with it. Joseph had the ability to take a dream, couple it with a plan, and make it a reality. In Gen 11:3 you see the plan begin to unfold: "let us make brick", and again in vs.4, "Go let us build a city." They had a plan and that plan helped turn their dirt into bricks and their bricks into a city. What you hold in your hand may not be much now, but if you will get a plan and stick to it then one day your dirt will be a city. You can't sit around waiting for it to happen, because your city will not build itself. You have to take certain steps to make it happen.
3. They executed the plan...
Gen 11:6 ... "this they began to do."There comes a time when you have to stop communicating and actually start doing. Most people are afraid to move forward with a plan because they are afraid to fail or they don't want to be disappointed. IT'S OK IF YOU FAIL... really. Anyone who has ever accomplished something in life has had to face and overcome the fear of failure. Most of them have even failed a time or two. If you don't face failure and move forward then your plan will continue to be a dream without ever becoming reality.
Now, I know what most of you are thinking... "Did he really use a story about a city in defiance to God as an encouragement to work together?" Yes, I did...and here's why. The most powerful part of this story is in vs. 6. After they communicated, came up with a plan, and started working, vs. 6 says "now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." In other words, their dream is about to become reality. They set out to build the world's first sky scrapper and they would have accomplished it because they were all on the same page. How much more could the church do if we would learn to work together in unity?
What do you think? Leave me a comment below.
Amen brother! I wish the church would begin to work together for the glory of God. It's not about us, but about Him.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of countries that are going through a civil war, most of the time there are people who are trying to escape because of the turmoil. People simply are not attracted to that country because of the chaos and uncertainty. I think it's the same way with Christians...instead of working together, we argue and fight between denominations, and even within the same church, because our pride gets in the way thinking we are right. So people are fleeing the turmoil while others are staying away altogether. I believe that is the case with Christians and non-Christians. Christians are leaving the church and non-Christians just decide to stay away. Who wants to go into a place where no one is getting along?
We could accomplish so much more if we pulled in the same direction instead of pulling in several different directions.
"Where there is unity, there is always victory."
--Publilius Syrus