COOPERATION Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. A threefold cord is not quickly broken (Eccl. 4: 9-12). The word of God says that cooperation counts. In an increasingly selfish world, we find ourselves locked in needless competition for time, space or attention. Between parent and child, husband and wife, teacher and student, pastor and flock, mentor and mentee, nation and nation, etc., competitors have locked horns in avoidable or bruising battles, the outcomes of which are not so sure. Yes, competition is good, but not all the time. However, cooperation is much better in most circumstances. In our relationships with God and fellow human beings, cooperation is necessary. Cooperation means “working together.” For people to want to work together, there must be something in it for each of them. How many of us are ready to worship God or obey Him if not because of the enormous blessings that we expect to receive? When huge crowds went looking for Jesus, He told them, “You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6: 26). Therefore, as we seek cooperation with God or human beings, we have our sights on our self-interests. We can identify a “cooperator,” like: A very selfish person, does not care what happens to everybody else as long as his/her interests are served. Therefore, s(he) will only cooperate with those who can help him/her to attain his/her goals. For example, there are many bosses who do not care how their subordinates feel as long as their production targets are meant. There are many spouses who do not care about their partners’ feelings or pressing needs as long as they always have their way. When they cooperate, it is not because they appreciate you. Rather, it is because your performance is at the level that they expect. However, when it comes to reward, they will not repay your commitment. Moreover, they will do everything to keep you down, even when your promotion is overdue. There are some people who are pushing their own self-interests. At the same time, they are prepared to help others to also attain their own pursuits. In other words, they would accept to work with those who would also help them to attain their own objectives. Such people only have permanent interests, not permanent friends. They can be with you today and with another group the next day as long as their interests are protected or served. You can never rely on their loyalty for too long! The team player is selfless and as caring about your success as his/hers. For team players, working with others comes very naturally. They rejoice with you when you rejoice; they mourn with you when you mourn. Through thick and thin, they are with you until your shared goals or objectives are attained. They are dependable and trustworthy. They acknowledge and appreciate each team member’s contribution. They know when to lead and when to be led. When there is success, they celebrate with everyone else. When there is failure, they take full responsibility. Paul used the analogy of the human anatomy to illustrate this teamwork (1 Cor. 12: 14-26). The body has different parts, each for a different purpose. Yet, they work in total harmony, such that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it”( 1 Cor 12: 26). Look at the example of the children of Israel on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. They came in conflict with the Amalekites. For victory, Moses had to hold up his hands, as God had commanded him. Each time his hands were up, the Israelites were winning, but each time his hands came down, the Amalekites were winning. Then his hands got tired and heavy. So, they put stones under both arms, and Aaron held one arm while Hur held the other, “and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Ex. 17: 8-13). See how much teamwork went into that victory. There must in deed be something in working together. Jesus sent out His disciples two by two and they came back with wonderful stories of healing and conversions (Mk 6: 7, 13). Jesus has said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18: 19-20). The Trinity as a “best-practice”of cooperation in action. I cannot find a better example in the Bible than the Trinity to illustrate how believers can practise cooperation. The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one God who is manifested in Three distinct Persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Deut. 6: 4; Matt. 28: 19). This is best stated in the book of Genesis where God said, “Let Us make man in Our image. So God created man in His image” (Gen. 1: 26, 27). How do God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit work together in such perfect harmony? The word of God says, “the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1). In another place, David said of the Lord, “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Ps. 102: 25). Therefore, a good way to study cooperation within the Godhead is to examine God’s fingerprints in nature. Therefore, since we believe that God created the earth with all its fullness (Ps. 24: 1) then His fingerprints must show therein. The totality of nature is referred to as the universe, not multiverse, which signifies oneness, as in one God. What are the implications of the forgoing findings for cooperation? With respect to the universe, you cannot take time without space and matter. Otherwise, you won’t have a universe! In like manner, space is meaningless if you take one without the other two. Wherever you find One, you find the Other Two For example, at Creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the earth” (Holy Spirit), and the Word (the Christ) who was with God (the Father) (John 1: 1). In summary, we can see that the team spirit among the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is not the case of “one plus one plus one equals three” but “one times one times one equals one. That is what breeds perfect harmony: unity of purpose, plans, implementation, mutual respect and gain sharing. Churches and congregations may be numerous but Jesus Christ remains their unifying factor. Cooperation has become inevitable because viable individualism in a complex world has become impossible. Cooperation does it all. Amen.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 09:56:54 +0000
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