by Rick Furmanek
I'm sure you can recall moments after a victory overhearing someone declare, "Great team effort." Coaches often remind their players that baseball is not a one man event, it is a game whereby nine players compete against another nine players, each teammate doing his part. In competitive ball, players are chosen for their strength in a particular position. Not everyone has a cannon for an arm, not everyone can pitch successfully, not everyone can block balls behind the plate, not everyone can stroke it or hit a dinger, not everyone can run like the wind, but every single player on the team can contribute something. What coaches attempt to do is place players in positions where their particular gifts can be most effectively used. Then, as players execute their opportunities effectively, you come away with what is known as a great team effort.
This reminds me that as a Christian, I am intended to be part of a 'team effort' otherwise known as the Church or Body of Believers. While my faith in God is personal, Jesus Christ says it was never meant to be private. While my relationship with God is one on one, I was never meant to be an island unto myself. Just as players need teammates to successfully compete in baseball, a Christian needs other Christians in their life to successfully achieve what God has called them to do.
The Apostle Paul tells us in the Bible that each follower of Christ is given a gift to be used in the Church which is also called the Body of Christ. He goes on to say, just a physical body has many parts, so the Church has many parts. In the same way, when a physical body part is missing, the rest of the body suffers and has to compensate for the missing part, so Paul states that when the Church is missing 'parts', the whole Body of Christ suffers, lacking in their ability to function as it should.
When a person chooses to follow Christ, he/she enters into the stadium of life joined with, and surrounded by, fellow believers. Those who have gone on ahead of us look on from the stands expectantly, cheering us forward to this life in Christ, while those of us positioned on the field of life look to each other for support, backing each other up as each life play unfolds. Remember, you need your teammates and your teammates need you. The ball has been pitched and is now in play. Is your life in or out of position?
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