Guest Post: be united in Christ by respecting team and leadership

by gerald jarrett • celebrate recovery pastor


Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM one of “those guys”…. and you are, too. Welcome to the team.


“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” Philippians 2:1-4 (Msg)


Have you ever noticed how hard it is sometimes to respect the team and leadership while serving Christ? It seems that God has a particular sense of humor that requires Him to ALWAYS insert that one special person that is hard to work with into the team. I’ve come to the conclusion that this is not a coincidence. There is a reason, and we are meant to grow with it.


Have you ever been to Colorado? The majestic beauty of places like Aspen, Durango, Denver, Vail, and Pike’s Peak transcends words. The interesting thing, however, is that all of those places are in the western half of Colorado. Eastern Colorado is flatter than road kill in the truck lane and totally devoid of any interesting scenery whatsoever. We are told that a cataclysmic event of great geological violence occurred to form the Rocky Mountains. That happened in the western half of Colorado, not the eastern half.


Here is something to think about: it was the catastrophic nature of that geological event that formed the majestic splendor we all appreciate. The violence begat the beauty. Nothing happened in eastern Colorado, and its lack of scenery renders it useless as a vacation destination.


You may think that God cannot use you on His team because of the pain and devastation in your past, but here is the neat thing: that is precisely what forms the beauty of your worth that allows God to use you to reach others for Him. As Rick Warren states, “God never wastes a pain.” It is the brokenness of your life that formed the Rocky Mountains that are in your soul. And lest you forget, that same brokenness in others’ lives is what makes them useful, too. When someone gets REALLY broken, that may just qualify them to be the leader!


As you serve, be united in Christ. Look around you at your team and leaders. Enjoy the beauty. Welcome to western Colorado!
The core issue of the focus scripture today points toward self-denial: if we are to be a team that can serve Christ, we must first love and serve each other. List one way you can do that this week with the others on your team.


Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 tells us that we are stronger as a team. Can you list specific instances when you have experienced this truth as you have served in the church?


As you serve together on Saturday, recognize if there is a person on your team that God has challenged you to appreciate in a new way. Who, and why?


Prayer: Our Father, I thank You for the fascinating diversity of our team and its leaders. Help me to appreciate in a new way the gifts and uniqueness of others as we serve together toward the eternal purpose of the mission that You have laid on our hearts. I ask that You continue to bless our team by providing each one of us with further opportunities to use our distinctive abilities together in service for Your kingdom. For this I pray in Jesus’ name, and it is for His sake that I serve. Amen.

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Over the next 10 days, you will be receiving the devotionals that the pastors of Brookwood Church have prepared for ServeFest 2010. ServeFest is a community outreach that will take place on Saturday, November 20, 2010 in Greenville County, South Carolina. If you would like to participate in ServeFest, register here: brookwoodchurch.org/servefest


The devotionals following the Beatitudes series will resume on November 24, 2010.

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