Being A Team Player

You hear a lot today about being a team player. Everyone puts it on their resume, and it is a much-desired trait that leaders and employers look for. I absolutely believe that it is a good trait to have but I think that as Christ-followers we need to go one more step and ask, “What is the motivation behind my being a team player?”

Why are we team players?

I think the reason should go beyond, “I am trying to get hired,” or “We want to win at something.” The Bible gives us the proper motivation for being a team player when it talks about the “one-anothers.” Time and again we are told to serve one another, encourage one another, care for one another, bear one another’s burdens…there are abou ant 57 of those one-anothers in the New Testament. All of these one-another actions should be emanating from our desire to live out the law of Christ who tells us to, “Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”

There it is! Loud and clear! The motivation for being a team player is because we are being obedient to the law of Christ, AND the one-another actions inform us what team playing looks like. Motivation matters to God. The intent behind the action matters if we want to please God. We can please God AND be on a winning team, that is a win-win situation.

So are you being a team player? And what is your motivation?

Writer Anouare Abdou writes about 5 Team Player Qualities That Will Make Everyone Want to Work With You. She says they are…

· Collaboration and contribution

· Flexibility and adaptability

· Empathy

· Presence

· Passion

How do those look through the lens of one-anothers?

Collaboration and contribution

• 2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV) Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

• Colossians 3:12–13 (ESV) Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

We can't have collaboration and contribution if we don’t aim for agreeing with one another.

Flexibility and adaptability

• Ephesians 4:1–2 (ESV) I…urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

We cannot be flexible and adaptable to others and their plans if we are not walking in humility, patience and love for one another.

Empathy and Openness

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

We understand what others are feeling and we can encourage and build them up.

Presence and Positivity

Every single one another carries the understanding of being present and giving value to the others by paying attention.

Passion and purpose

Passionate about the purpose of building each other up and looking out for one another.

• Romans 12:10 (ESV) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

This really boils down to the very core of it all – a motivation of love. In fact, you look at the five traits and you see actions that are a natural outflow of love for one another.

• 1 John 4:7–8 (ESV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Let us strive to be team players because it is a good thing, and let us be motivated by love for God and those around us - that is the right thing!