Team, team, team and the Carl Sandburg Eagles

I went and watched the Carl Sandburg High School Eagles Volleyball team yesterday. David Vales is the coach.

I could tell David is a good coach for this reason: Sure his players are good, but what really stuck out to me is that they played together as a team. They congratulated one another when there was a good play and encouraged one another when there was a bad one.

And while there were a couple of players who stood out, they all blended together like one well-oiled machine.

And they won. The other team might have had better athletes(that is debatable), but the Sandburg Eagles played as one unit.

I've rarely seen teams win with one or even two superstars. It takes a team.

Let's apply that to our lives.

A lot of people in life are "stand aside and let me do it," type people.

Do you know someone like that?

They're convinced no one will do the job quite as good as them. Why delegate when others are bound to make mistakes? Why delegate when you can do it all yourself?

We forget--for those of you who are task oriented--that finishing the job isn't the point. Not completely. Especially in ministry. God's idea is that in the process of doing his work we will build community. He wants us to learn to work together. He wants us to be a team.

Look at the areas where you work or lead. Are you trying to play all six positions at once? If you are, your teammates may wonder why they're even on the team. And they're probably wondering when you're taking your vacation--so that they can get finally a chance to make a play.

Here's an idea. Let your players play their position. Don't try to cover the whole court. They might make a mistake or two, but they'll also surprise you with some good plays.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body...Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27)

Just a thought for a Tuesday.....