Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. The Fab Five. Venus and Serena Williams. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
You don’t have to be in the world of professional athletics to recognize at least one of these name pairings. This list represents some of the best athletic duos and team-ups the USA has ever seen, bar none.
But what sets them apart? Why will their names be engraved on the hearts of Americans for decades to come?
Many reasons might come to mind: athletic prowess, countless championships and titles achieved, the best trainers and coaches and franchises, etc. But more than any of these factors, these name combinations are famous because they made each other better.
On their own, each of these athletes is impressive. But
together, their skills, character, knowledge, and abilities are heightened to a level of untouchable greatness. Misty May-Treanor and Keri Walsh Jennings’ combination of skills was unstoppable. The Williams sisters pushed each other to be better. The Fab Five filled in the gaps for one another when there was weakness.
It’s the same for following Jesus. It’s not an individual competition, but rather, a team sport.
You need the strengths, talents, skills, and encouragement of other Christians to pick up your slack. We are better together, every single time.
Colossians 2:6-7 says, “So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.”
Alone, this feels like a daunting task. But when we’re linked arm-in-arm with another believer (or two or three or ten), walking in Christ, being established in the faith, and overflowing with gratitude is a little bit easier. The Bible makes it clear that we were created to do life
with other Christians. When you are in Christ, you are a part of his “Body,” called the Church.
1 Corinthians 12 says: “So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
That’s the kind of teamwork and camaraderie we see in every great sport pairing throughout history. When one loses,
everyone grieves. When one wins and therefore rejoices, their athletic partner is right there next to them in celebration.
So as you follow Jesus, seeking to know Him and understand His Word, disciplining yourself to pray and be an active part of your local church, remember: if you want to love God to the best of your ability, you need a teammate (or many) alongside you–pushing you, lifting you up when you’re down, challenging you to be better, offering their spiritual strengths when you’re weak, and encouraging your heart when you want to give up.
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
It’s not a sprint. It’s not a competition at all. It takes the whole running team keeping the pace to cross that finish line victorious. Notice that this passage doesn’t say “may YOU run with endurance the race that lies before YOU…” but rather, “let
us
run… the race that lies before
us.” This is significant.
You can’t run it alone.
You’re already on God’s team. But you’re not the only player, so don’t try to “win” all by yourself! But you might be wondering what this means for your life or how to find a teammate for following Jesus.
Start here:
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