 |
|  |
|---|
|
Getting the Right Attitude With the Olympic Games to look forward to, the team spirit will be very much in evidence around the world during the summer months. At St Thomas' we too recognise that working together as a team is important, if our church is to develop and grow, and help the people of our parish. Over the next few weeks at St Thomas', our Bible themes will focus on working together and applying Jesus' example in our everyday lives. Jesus was not only a great leader for his disciples, and a perfect example of selflessness, he is also the ultimate team player: a man who showed how to put the team first and himself last. In Philippians 2:5 - 11, Paul describes in a few short verses, exactly what Christ has done for us and reminds us that: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:5). This is quite a challenge, when you think about it! So what was Jesus' attitude, and how can it help us as a church? He was obedient to God's will - if we, like Jesus, put God as the authority in charge of our lives, we can rest assured that we are in safe hands. Spending time with God in prayer helps us to get to know God's plans for us. He humbled himself - in a society where putting yourself first is becoming increasingly important, Jesus teaches us a different message: that true success comes from putting others first. In a team, although each person may have a different job to do, all the jobs are needed for the team to work successfully; no one is more important than another, which helps everyone in the team to feel valued and respected. He had a servant's heart - if we are humble, we are also willing to serve one another. There are times, for example, when we all need help. Like Jesus, we need to be willing to help each other in times of need; with the help and support of friends, it is much easier to cope with life's problems. Conflict can also be resolved much more easily if we show compassion and forgiveness towards each other. He was encouraging - we all work better with a little praise now and then. Your kind word might be just what someone needs to keep them going through a time of doubt and difficulty. Just count up how many times you offer words of encouragement during a day - then try to double it tomorrow! A Christ-like attitude, spreading the Gospel and being a team player - it can all seem quite daunting some days, especially when life is giving us a hard time. But let's remember that we all have different gifts which God has brought together for a purpose. Within our church lie all the skills and resources we need to build a strong team - a team to do God's work. Pat Clayton Published in the June 2004 edition of the Church Magazine
| |