Synergize

There seems to be an unpleasant dichotomy in Christianity today. In a sense our greatest strength pushed to an extreme has become our greatest weakness. Our greatest strength is emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through faith. Yet when fueled by the fires of hyper individualism, it has resulted in believers thinking my faith is just between me and God, not me and every other believer. This has resulted in many believers choosing to “go it alone.” Unfortunately they are missing out on the refreshing opportunities of synergy.

It is a wonderful blessing, therefore, when God’s people work together to accomplish his purposes. The Greek term for this is synergy. The Bible tells us God worked together in his triune nature to create us and to save us. It’s no wonder, then, that when believers work together they can accomplish great things.

During the week of April 9, 2012 thirty-one people from Valley Baptist Church synergized to renovate our children’s ministry area. The nursery, children’s and youth rooms all received a fresh coat of paint. Several talented artists painted pine and aspen tress on the walls. We tore out some old barn wood and replaced it with drywall. Everyone worked in his or her own giftedness to beautify the children’s level. It was a labor of love for God and for the children.

I saw this as an illustration of Ephesians 4:16 - From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. When believers creatively beautify creation, yes synergize, God is honored and we all grow together. Where does God want you to synergize?