Shared Effort

Sometimes I forget that when we ask for help, it's not just about needing assistance with a problem too big for me to handle, but about empowering others to use their strengths and giving them an opportunity to achieve and feel useful.

In Exodus 17, Israel was facing a formidable enemy that could not be defeated by might alone. Moses stood on a hill and as long as he raised his arms to Heaven, Joshua and his warriors saw victory. When his strength was failing, Aaron and Hur stepped in and supported him.

What did that speak to Aaron and Hur and Joshua when Moses let them help him. What example did he set for their future leadership? A shared effort is a win-win situation. We need God and we need each other.

As I grow older, I am feeling, really feeling the limits of my own strength. I am also seeing that my reflexes are not as fast, my sight is not as good and my hearing is fading. My pride doesn't want to admit that I cannot do as much as I used to, but my heart is realizing that it is a good thing to share the mantle and eventually pass the mantel to those who can go longer and farther than I can.

At work, I want to do it all, but it is a job bigger than one person is capable of. The truth is, every job at work is bigger than one person. That is why we are a team that works together.

The church is the same way. No one person embodies the fullness of God, but together, we all complete the body of Christ. When we use our gifts and allow others to express their God-given abilities, we see a beautiful amalgam of love lived out in unity and support. Admitting that we need each other is not weakness, it's what God intended. It's how God works.

Who do you need today to compliment the work you are doing? Who can you empower to use their gifts to make a difference? Let's be the body today.