There’s an ‘i’ in ‘team’: Embracing your role in the Body of Christ

 

Suggested Bible reading:
1 Corinthians 12
Ephesians 4

Tradition Challenged

When I first heard that there is no “i” in “team”, I had no problems with the idea. It made sense - a team's success and purpose are for the whole group. No superstars allowed! Got it!

Years rolled by, and I was blessed with the opportunity to speak to a group of young people as a 'motivational speaker'. (Please note that I am no such thing in reality, but that’s the role I was asked to fill!)

When I asked the Holy Spirit for an idea, He whispered this topic into my spirit: “There is an I in TEAM”.

Why would He say that?! 

T-E-A-M. 

No “I” there! 

So what did He mean?

The truth is that the traditional concept is only part of the story. Why? Well, in order for any team, company, family, and yes, the body of Christ to be a group, there first and always have to be individuals in it.

Ever heard that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link? Well, it's true. And it is true because the whole chain actually needs each link. That’s why it is important for each believer to embrace his unique role in the body of Christ.

I Matter in the body of Christ

Though we labour for the good of the whole, each of us must know, accept and fully operate in what God has given to the individual.

The apostle, Paul, vividly illustrated the value of the individual in 1 Corinthians 12:17 - "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?" (KJV)

So my personality, my experiences and my special abilities do matter! I help to make any group I am in, the unique group it is. Everyone brings something to the table to make the whole meal tasty, aesthetically pleasing, and nourishing.

I recall as a child, that Sunday dinners were a team effort. Mother would take care of the main course; father was the juice man; I was the salad designer and decorator.

My father knew how to cook, but why assign him to the main food preparation when he was the juice boss? He was good at it, and he loved it, and we loved when he did it!

On the other hand, I loved to mix, match and slice different vegetables to make salads so beautiful we hated to pull them apart!

That’s how it is in the body of Christ. God places value on each of us and expects us to fulfill our unique purpose. We should never look down on ourselves in a group setting.

A privilege and a duty

Not only is this a beautiful privilege, but it is also something for which each of us will be judged.

Ephesians 2:10 declares that we are God's  workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (KJV).

If I fail to be me and to do what I have been given to do, it will be required of me.

Christ’s body needs its body parts!

Ephesians 4:15-16 points us to the balance: there is no denying it- there really is a body of which Christ is the Head. In this body, each part is joined together and each part does its work (NIV).

Strive to find out who you are and what God has given to you. Then, be that person and do those things in humility and love.

The group you are in- whether family, sports team, and the body of Christ - need you to be you. Your memories, your testimonies, even your failures and the lessons learned from them, are one-of-a-kind. Only you can bring your “I” to the TEAM!

Game time!

How many words with two letters or more can you get from the word 'individual'?

Time limit: 5 minutes.

Score to beat:18. No proper nouns allowed.

Click here to see my word list after you've tried!

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