Team Player part 3
I want to switch tactics a little bit today. Because in order to be a team player... you have to be willing to do for others. I know I've been talking about being a team player... and also knowing your worth and not settling. I think that's valid and important. But there's also this: "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philippians 2:3-4). And, listen, I don't think being humble means thinking less of yourself. I simply think it means thinking of yourself less. If I take care of you, and you take care of me, neither one of us needs to worry about ourselves. Its literally the difference between being self-centered, and Christ-centered. Because being Christ-centered is being people-centered. Whatever you do unto the least of them you do unto God, right? How we treat each other is how we relate to our God. If we try to take, take, take... get one over on people... make ourselves look better by making other people look worse... its because our relationship with our heavenly Father is out of whack. Because if we're trying to GET... it means we don't know what we've GOT. And if we're trying to get for ourselves, we surely aren't being a team player. So I guess what it comes down to is faith. Having faith that our heavenly Father can, will, is, and has taken care of us. Because if I'm taken care of, I don't have to try to take care of myself. I can look past myself and see what's going on with you. I can see a need and meet it. I can give what I've got because I have something to give. I have what you need. And you have what I need. So when we share what we've got, everybody has enough. Nobody has to lack. That's what love is; giving what you've got. Living out of your abundance. Knowing that everything God requires... He first provides. Knowing that you're never expected to give MORE than you've got. How could you? You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. But being a team player, really, is about showing up. Participation IS the battle. If you don't show up, people WILL be missing something. YOU. Your presence, literally, can be a present. A gift. Just being there for someone can be everything they need. It can make all the difference in the world. Because it makes a connection. Builds a relationship. And that's what its all about. Its all about connection. Relationship. No man is an island. It is not good that man should be alone. We need to be part of a team. We need to understand that we are all members of the same body. We're all in this together. One of my favorite songs has the line, "Nobody wins in a fight." And that was a lesson my son learned from a superhero movie--when friends fight, everybody loses. So let nothing be done through strife. Blessed are the peacemakers. Let's start esteeming each other. Thinking about each other. Taking care of each other. Loving each other!