Leadership

Submitted by David Miller

Casey Stengel, a legendary manager for the New York Yankees, made a comment about the challenge of managing a professional baseball team. His observation applies to life in general. He said, “It’s easy to get good players. Getting them to play together, that’s the hard part.” 

Each of us faces that issue. How do I blend my abilities and talents with those of other people? How do I cooperate with others so we can reach our goal? That question applies to business, to family life and certainly to our walk with God. 

There are individual sports and team sports. Wrestling, boxing and golf are individual sports. You’re on your own! Basketball, baseball and football are team sports. You’re only as successful as the team is. Christianity, and life really, are team sports. The key to success is knowing how to work with others. 

Pride and selfishness hinder a team from being successful. Jesus instructed everyone, even leaders, to lay aside pride and live to serve others. The Apostle Paul understood the value of working effectively with others. He emphasized teamwork because he knew that we could only reach our goals through mutual effort. 

In his letter to the Philippian church, he passed on advice about successful living:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4*). 

Paul pointedly addressed the destructive attitude of selfishness. Focus on ourselves and our own interests at the expense of others will ultimately leave any of us isolated and ineffective.  When Paul wrote the Philippians, he mentioned selfish ambition. It is the translation of one Greek word. It meant self-seeking that focuses on the question, "What’s in it for me?”

Paul’s additional challenge to consider others better than yourselves warns against selfishness. That advice goes against our fallen human nature. We live in a highly competitive world. We know that winners are rewarded. No one wants to be a loser.  Yet, Paul exhorted us to focus, not on ourselves, but on others and their gifts. No one has it all, and what God has given others is important to us. Every person has some unique combination of gifts and personality that gives him or her great value.  When we, as a church, combine all these gifts together, effect ministry occurs. 

God honors unselfishness. It is the only attitude that will make us winners in the end. As Casey Stengel demonstrated with the New York Yankees, championships are won when individuals play together. It works for church and, what’s more, it works in everyday life. It will work for any of us.

Scripture to Claim:
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)