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Summers,
when I was in grade school, were often spent playing "sandlot" baseball. A group
of guys (no girls even wanted to) about my age would get together most every spare
moment to play. We used rocks, cardboard, or even pieces of discarded metal as
bases and the pitching rubber. A home run was usually determined not by a fence,
but simply by the fact that no one could get the ball back fast enough when it
was hit far.
In spite of our lack of official equipment, a real baseball,
bat and gloves were necessary. Playing as a group, one might bring his glove and
even a spare for the one who was gloveless. Another had a ball and one or two
had wooden bats. All put together, we could have a real baseball game.
Without cooperation, we couldn't have played. Baseball is also a team sport,
meaning that it is impossible to play by yourself. The church is set up in the
same manner. Jesus established His church as a Body where the parts need one another.
If you choose to be a team player, you choose to sacrifice some of your rights
and what you have for others. 1
Corinthians 12:14 says, "For the body is not one member, but many."
We need each other in the church and in Christian living. If
you are an isolationist, you will never be the Christian God intended you to be.
If your church is a gathering of individuals unaware of the importance of the
Body of Christ in their lives, the church will be much less than Jesus Christ
wants.
Choose to be a team player!
All Scripture references are from the New American Standard
Version unless otherwise noted.
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Choosing To Play
