Are You a Team Player?

Welcome back!

Today we will be continuing our discussion on all the facets of victory in a Christian's life.  Specifically, the impact our individual spiritual victories bring when we become a team player for the Kingdom of God.

For a recap of this impromptu series about victory in the Christian life, you can read the first two installments which are Driving out the Canaanites in My Life, a post where you will find Biblical strategies for defeating sin in your life which you can read about HERE, and When Victory in the Christian Life doesn't Seem So Victorious, a post where you will find encouragement that even if circumstances look dark and hopeless, God is working and you WILL have victory which you can read about HERE..

ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER?

The focus of many job descriptions is that a prospective candidate must be a team player, one who can work independently, but also pitch in for the sake of the team - a well-rounded individual who is a self-starter busy in his own work, but who also is excited to be a team player and actively contribute to the company's vision.  Most of us would say that this describes our work ethic, but how many of us view our Christian life in the context of being a team player...

     THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A TEAM PLAYER              IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

As Believers, it is important to understand that as individual children of God we must each be a team player for the Kingdom of God.  Christians need to recognize that even though we are all fighting our own spiritual battles,  we are also ALL in a battle for the Kingdom of God. 

But too often, we are so focused on self, that we forget what our eternal purpose is - to bring Glory to God both individually and as part of the Church of God.  That is the Lord's vision for His Church.

     BIBLICAL INSIGHTS ON HOW TO BECOME A      TEAM PLAYER FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Recently, I was reflecting upon the following prayer of Deborah and Barak which also offered praise for the Victory the Lord gave to them in defeating the Canaanites...

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:

 “That the leaders took the lead in Israel,

    that the people offered themselves willingly,

    bless the Lord!

“Awake, awake, Deborah!

    Awake, awake, break out in a song!

Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,

    O son of Abinoam.

 Then down marched the remnant of the noble;

    the people of the Lord marched down for me against the mighty.

Among the clans of Reuben

    there were great searchings of heart.

 Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds,

    to hear the whistling for the flocks?

Among the clans of Reuben

    there were great searchings of heart.

 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;

    and Dan, why did he stay with the ships?

Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,

    staying by his landings.

Judges 5:2;12-13; 15b-17

I highlighted these verses to showcase two different responses to the call to move forward against the Canaanites.

Deborah is first and foremost praising God for those of the Lord's people who responded by taking the lead in Israel to go against the Canaanites, offering themselves willingly among the people, obeying the call of God.  Each person participated in God's army as a team player.

Deborah then expresses dismay for those in Israel who did not act, who stayed behind, who were not part of the Lord's army.  Those were the ones who dismissed any thought of being a team player.

As I reflected upon these verses, it occurred to me that we as Believers are still part of God's Army, an army whose battle is fought on the earth and in the spiritual realms.  Yet oftentimes we "stay behind" like those in Israel who did not fight with the Lord's army.  We find ourselves not moving forward in a calling upon our lives out of fear or out of selfishness or we might have too much of a hold on the world rather than on Christ.

For insight on how to discern and apply the calling God has upon your life, please go to my blog post series entitled God's Call where you can read about how the Lord sets you up for success in your calling HERE; how the Lord equips you for your calling HERE; and how the Lord is present in your calling HERE.

It is important for Christians to recognize that we are ALL in a battle for the Kingdom of God.  We are ALL God's soldiers.  We are all players on God's team.

And as only God could design, we not only fight God's Kingdom battle collectively, but our individual victories contribute to the victory as a whole for all Christendom.

Let that sink in.  Every victory we win in our own lives, is a victory for the team!  When we have individual victories over worldliness, self, temptation and sin, it will have a collective effect overall on the Lord's Army.

{In my blog post, Red Light Revelation, which you can read HERE, I wrote about ways to bolster emotional and spiritual health.}

Our individual victories will serve to magnify that we are a team player that has joined with other Christians for the cause of Christ.  One by one, we will be falling into line in obedience with the Word, showing a united front to a watching world of how one whose identity is in Christ lives for the Glory of God.  When God's people are walking in united obedience to the Lord, it will pay huge dividends to the growth of the Kingdom of God.

As we saw at the end of Judges 5, Deborah basically cursed those who were enemies of God.

“So may all your enemies perish, O Lord!

Judges 5:31a

When we follow the world and the sin that entangles it, we are acting like enemies of the Lord.  And although we are sealed for redemption, when we don't spend time in the fellowship of Believers, which is certainly NOT being a team player, or when we don't spend time in the Word, we WILL fall into sin and suffer the consequences.  In so doing, we are also hurting the cause of God's Army as a whole.  We may think that what we do in our own spiritual lives is insignificant, but in God's economy, every one of us holds great significance!

For we are his workmanship,

 created in Christ Jesus for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand, 

that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

We do not want to fall into easy believism as idle Christians who do not seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.  We do not want to drag Christ's name through the mud.

We want to be God's friends!

    But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.”

Judges 5:31

Through our friendship with Jesus, we will be victorious and fight in His might.

The Lord does call us to do battle, but it is He who leads the way and makes a way for our victory...

Lord, when you went out from Seir,

    when you marched from the region of Edom,

the earth trembled

    and the heavens dropped,

    yes, the clouds dropped water.

 The mountains quaked before the Lord,

    even Sinai before the Lord, the God of Israel.

Judges 5:4-5

When we fight the good fight individually, the Lord is moved and He will make that which is contrary to Him tremble, quake and flee.

The Lord can use anyone of His children to accomplish great things for His Kingdom.  If you feel Him knudging you to do something for the Kingdom, but you dismiss it thinking, "that just seems so insignificant", that something could be the tipping point that is used mightily by the Lord for His Kingdom.  We must never underestimate the power of God working in and through us.

BE A TEAM PLAYER!

Answer the call!  Don't stay behind!  Know that your individual actions have eternal consequences or benefits for Christians as a whole.  Choose to benefit your brothers and sisters in the Lord, and those yet to come into the fold. Offer your service willingly to God's Army for the Kingdom's advancement and God's Glory!  Be a team player!

Fight the good fight of the faith. 

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called 

and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12

For indeed, those who answer the call are growing together in grace and knowledge, serving as a team player for the Kingdom of God.

You might find me on these link-ups:

Grace & Truth, Woman to Woman Ministries, Inspire Me Monday, A Wise Women Builds Her Home, Spiritual Sundays, Soul Survival,  Good Morning Mondays, Tell His Story, Faith & Fellowship Blog Hop,   Tuesday Talk,    Faith 'N Friends,  Sitting Among Friends   House to Home  ,Wonderful Wednesday , Literacy Musings Mondays,Imparting Grace, Dance with Jesus,  Booknificent Thursdays ,  Fresh Market Friday Moments of Hope Wonderful Wednesdays , Tea & Word Tuesday Heart Encouragement Thursday Hearts for Home Messy Marriage Link-up Friday at the Fire Station Link-up Tune In Thursday Faith on Fire Link-up, Sunday Scripture Blessings Link-up, Sunday Thoughts, Writer Wednesday, Faith Filled Friday God Sized Dreams Link-Up Sitting Among Friends Be Thee Inspired Graceful Tuesday Link-up Aprons & Pearls Link-up Trekkingthru Link-up  Encouraging Word Wednesday  Grace Moments Link-up  Encouraging Hearts and Home Worth Beyond Rubies Seeking Sabbath Scripture and a Snapshot IHeart Verse Welcome Heart Kingdom Bloggers Outdoorsy Mommy Anchored Truth Tuesdays IHeart Verse InstaEncouragements

Recharge Wednesdays Kingdom Bloggers