Teamwork

Are you a good team member? Do you work well with others? Does it matter to you if you get the credit?  Check out Ezra Chapter 1 to see teamwork among the Jews! #YFA #iDevo #Teamwork

The book of Ezra is centered on God and His promise that the Jews would return to their land, as prophesied by Jeremiah. Cyrus would be used by God to guarantee the return of a remnant. Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the Temple restored. 

In verses 2-4 of Chapter 1, King Cyrus of Persia makes this proclamation - “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”

This proclamation allowed the Jews to work together to accomplish the huge project of rebuilding the Temple. Everyone had a different job to do. For example, some did the actual building, while others took care of the supplies. They worked together as a team! 

Everyone at some point has had to interact with others to accomplish a task. A baseball team works together to win the game, a medical team works together to save the patient, and teachers work together to educate students. What have you been called to do that requires teamwork?  Teamwork means using your individual skills to work with others to accomplish a task. We all have different giftings and it takes everyone working together to get the task done. This sometimes means that certain people may be at the forefront, while others may be in the background just providing encouragement and support. As a child of God we are all a part of the “family of God” team, so when you are asked to serve, do so faithfully. Be a good team member regardless of who gets the credit.