S22P4 – Work that cannot be done alone
Matt. 18:19-20
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
A friend of mine has a sailboat. The boat is designed for a purpose. It takes you over the water from point A to point B. And while the boat exists to be used for this purpose, there is one problem. Because of a lack of automation, no one can sail this boat alone. It takes at least two people to man the vessel, otherwise it cannot work. No matter how good of a sailor you are, you cannot take this boat out alone. If you do not have a partner working the sails while you steer and monitor depth, you cannot navigate the waters. Our faith sometimes operates the same way.
God will give us tasks to accomplish on our own in which our only help is him. He also gives us tasks that we can complete only with the help of our fellow brethren. Whether it is through prayer or praise, the Bible provides many examples of the power of community magnifying what is accomplished in the spirit. Today’s verse tells us of the power we have in prayer when we agree in the name of the Jesus. No wonder we are told to share each other’s burdens. There are some things we simply cannot bear on our own, and for those things God has given us each other. Likewise, there are some jobs we can complete only with the help of another. For those jobs, God has given us each other.
Having to rely on each other to accomplish what God desires that we accomplish in the spirit is a blessing. It teaches us trust, humility and patience. Even more than that, it gives the church the opportunity to do what God has designed it to do, which is to operate as one unit. I alone am not the church. You alone are not the church. We together are the church. It is not enough that we work with God to accomplish his plan. We must work with each other. There will be times when we can make progress only with the help of our brothers and sisters. Father, remind us that our goal is to operate as the church, and give us the desire to work with our brothers and sisters to accomplish your plan instead of trying to work alone.