Recently, the house next to mine was damaged and needed to be rebuilt. This required the efforts of the insurance company, the general contractor, the subcontractors, the laborers, the vendors supplying the materials, and many others. Every individual involved was vital to the project’s success. I enjoyed watching them work together as a team to provide the owner with a beautiful new house to become his home. Teamwork—working together in unity, pursuing an organized joint effort—is illustrated throughout the Word of God. As we see the individual importance of each person on a team, we can build greater unity and enjoy success like the examples of teams we see in God’s Word.
Every individual on a team is important. When we see how important our teammates are, we can do our best to work together with unity and like-mindedness. Philippians speaks of this.
Philippians 2:2:
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
God does want us to be unified, to be together in one accord, to work together as a team with singleness of heart. Other verses that express God’s will regarding teamwork are Ephesians 4:1-3 and Acts 2:44,46. As we are like-minded, of one heart and one soul on the Word, we carry out God’s will, accomplish His purposes, and bring glory to Him.
God’s Word has many examples of believers working together in unity—working on God’s team. One example from the Old Testament is that of Joshua, the seven priests, the armed men, those carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the people—each doing their assigned part to claim victory in the battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:6-10,20). Another is that of Solomon and those who labored on the building of the Temple in II Chronicles. They had to work together as a team to accomplish God’s will.
Also, there is the great team of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who each did their part. It was their love for God and their unified believing that led them to victory—out of that burning, fiery furnace. Their example of teamwork is in Daniel, chapter 3.
Daniel 3:1,4-6,14:
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were a like-minded team. Together, they stood fast on what they knew God’s will was; and they stood together, supporting each other with unified believing through the challenges. Verses 16 through 18 record their answer to the king. Their response shows that they were like-minded, of one accord and of one mind: “…WE are not careful to answer thee in this matter”; “…our God whom WE serve is able to deliver US from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver US out of thine hand, O king”; “…WE will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Did they burn in the fiery furnace? No! Did God deliver them? Yes! Verses 28-30 show the victory.
Daniel 3:28-30:
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him….
Therefore I make a decree,…because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
A team is made up of all kinds of people; and when each gives their all to work together in unity, having respect for each other’s part, the team is strong. We are part of a team of believers working together for our God. We are each important, we are each needed, and God wants us to work together. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we do our best and keep moving forward together, giving our all in a team effort to do God’s will. As we each give our best, keeping God first and respecting the importance of each individual on the team, we contribute to the unity, strength, and success of the whole team.