(God’s plan to make us different) is so there will not be splits and battles among you; so that you will each be concerned about the other person because their contribution is so important to the group’s welfare. (1Corinthians 12:25)
Do you see others in your group as valuable,
unique partners in pursuing God’s vision? Do you remind your people often that
each person, you included, is dependent upon the others for the prosperity of
the whole? Or, do you believe you, or another leader, are more important than
the rest, and so foster fear and selfishness among your people? If you help
your people see relationships from God’s perspective, you will prepare them to
thrive as a group.
In Paul’s time, as today, the default
attitude for everyday people was to see other people as rivals, competitors for
vital resources, and as enemies. Paul’s explanation that the Lord designed us
to be mutually dependent and cooperative was – and is – exactly the opposite of
the world’s expert opinions. This world’s dog-eat-dog existence gives
opportunity for a person to rationalize almost any behavior under a mistaken
idea that their self-preservation demands an extraordinary action. That’s how
thieves bring themselves to steal and murderers to kill. In God’s world, people
see abundance, but here in this world there is never enough to go around.
Lead your people to embrace the unity and
trust in God that dispels fear and prevents a selfish perspective.
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