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Bible verses about teamwork has always been important, but it definitely has a different type of impact this year, doesn’t it?
For most people, the hardest part of the global pandemic was not the fear of disease but the loneliness of isolation.
In 2020, “work from home” became the norm for many of us and it was a hard adjustment. The isolation of quarantine separated us from family and coworkers and made effective teamwork harder than ever.
If you chafed against the restrictions, I get you. I missed my team—family, friends, and coworkers—and you probably did, too.
Why was it so hard? The answer can be found in the opening verses of the Bible.
Then the Lord said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:18
God demonstrated the importance of teamwork when He formed a helper for the first man. We were created for community. From the beginning, God made one thing clear. Isolation is not good for us. We need the input of at least one other person. This is true in every area of our lives, from home to work to ministry/service.
Let’s take a look at a few lessons from Scripture about the importance of teamwork.
7 Bible Verses About Teamwork
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
We are personally improved by teamwork. More effective. Sharper. A friend or coworker can gently help us smooth off our rough edges and we can do the same for them. In the end, we’re both better for the relationship.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14
Teamwork makes us safer. When we work together, we are less likely to make an ill-informed decision. Teamwork allows more than one opinion and more than one perspective about a problem. It increases the likelihood of a creative and effective solution.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
We can accomplish more together than we can apart. For those of us who struggle with perfectionism, this is an important lesson to learn. When we try to be a “lone ranger” and do all the work ourselves, we may find that everything is done to our liking but we seldom find we’ve accomplished as much as we would if we allowed others to help us. If we relinquish our need to control the process and choose to work as part of a team, we have a “better reward” with less work for ourselves and more work accomplished.
For the body is not one member, but many…But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as He desired. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”
1 Corinthians 12:14,18-19
God’s plan for the church as a body is a picture of the importance of teamwork. Everyone has a part to play and work to do. A person can’t walk easily without knees and legs, but they also can’t balance as they walk without their big toes. Each body part plays a role in our overall health and well-being as humans and the same can be said for the church. Every believer has God-given gifts and abilities and we are expected to use them to extend the Kingdom of God.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6
Teamwork glorifies God. When we live and work in harmony as the kind of team God intended, unity results and brings glory to God. John 13:35 tells us the world will know we are Christ’s disciples if we love one another. We give the world a glimpse of the love of God when we work together effectively.
From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:16
Teamwork brings growth in love to the body of Christ. The importance of teamwork is nowhere more evident than in the proper functioning of a church. When every person does their part, the “body” works as it was intended. Members learn to love each other more.
Pause for a moment to image your life filled with ever-increasing love. Yeah. So good, right?
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:10
Teamwork isn’t always easy, is it? We all have opinions and we usually think they’re right. It’s easy to be so invested in our own way of thinking that we reject those who disagree with us and it can be difficult to disagree yet still love. The instruction to have “no divisions…be united in love,” however, is not optional. It leaves no room for disharmony or isolationism. God expects His children to live and work together in harmony, unity, and in love. It’s His goal for us, and it should be our goal, too.
Seven Tips for More Effective Teamwork:
- Make effective teamwork a priority
- Allow each team member the opportunity to express their opinion.
- Recognize the gifts and abilities of each team member and allow each person to work from the strengths.
- Choose unity. Look for common ground.
- Be intentional about encouraging each other. Say thank you often.
- Seek guidance from wise leaders, especially if disagreements arise.
- Wrap your words in love.
What about you? How have you seen the importance of teamwork in your own life? What difficulties have you overcome to make teamwork more effective?
Sample prayer for effective teamwork:
Dear Lord,
I thank you for every member of our team and for each person’s unique gifts and perspective. Give us wisdom to seek Your will and Your way rather than our own. Knit our hearts together with strong cords of love and help us to work effectively for you. Help us to love and honor each other and seek the welfare of our team rather than our own selves. Help us to love each other as we love ourselves and glorify You in all we do. May we show Your love to the world by the way we love.
In Jesus name,
Amen
