When we watch a football match, we often see that the most celebrated players on the field are the ones who score the goals. And it’s right that their skill should be celebrated. But it’s also important not to forget that there’s a whole team behind them who also played a part in creating the chances and circumstances that led to a successful goal. Basketball coach John Woden would remind his teams, ‘It takes ten hands to score a basket.’ And his message lines up perfectly with the advice in Ecclesiastes, ‘Two are better than one’!

No one can realise their best potential on their own. God’s Word, and life itself, teach us that living is designed to be a team sport. In the very beginning, God established this principle: ‘It is not good for the man [or woman] to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’ (Genesis 2:18 NIV). God never intended us to do life alone. Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 talks about the value of human relationships in a challenging and difficult world. And Bible teacher Philip De Courcy describes how biblical wisdom embraces ‘a theology of we’ and rejects ‘a theology of me’ (see Philippians 2:4).

To really reach for our full potential, we need to commit ourselves to 1) resisting the urge to try and do everything ourselves, 2) treasuring our friends and cultivating real, meaningful relationships, 3) staying closely connected to the members of the body of Christ, 4) reaching out to the lonely and the broken, and 5) going out of our way to show what true friendship really looks like (see Proverbs 17:17; Hebrews 10:24-25; Luke 10:25-37; John 15:13). Life is a team effort.

What Now?

Try doing these things today: 1) Celebrate with someone who’s had a success; 2) Reach out with kindness to someone who’s lonely or hurt; 3) Help someone; 4) Ask for help with something; 5) Share a Bible verse with someone; 6) Have a chat and pray with a friend.