Examine The Team
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” -- Hebrews 10:24-25
Like all the great teams, we need to have the right players on our spiritual team to help us grow in relationship with Christ.
When we assess the “who” in our lives, it helps us live out our “why.” We search to find “who” we should be pursuing and know what we are looking for. Let’s explore three qualities we should look for when it comes to evaluating the type of people for our team.
Confident
Someone who knows their worth in Christ can’t help but stand firm when life’s challenges start hurling towards them. Rather than insecurely cutting others down, they build others up and encourage us to step into our own identity as God’s son or daughter and live with boldness knowing we have every spiritual blessing in Jesus. They sharpen our focus to see what matters and learn how to stand on the promises of God.
A solid teammate knows his or her value and reminds you of your own God-given worth.
Loyal
To be loyal is to be unwavering in faith or support. A person sold out for Jesus puts Him first in every aspect of their lives—before relationships, goals, what to do and how it would look. If something doesn’t seem right when hanging with friends, she leaves because she’d rather please Jesus. If someone is mocking his faith, he stands firm on God’s Word and believes anyway.
A solid teammate has your back and there’s never any doubt they want nothing but God’s best for you.
Caring
A kind heart goes a long way and gently reflects the love of Jesus. It’s the little acts of service that showcase the caring nature of someone who echoes the life of Christ and seeks the good of others. A caring friend focuses on the joy of making someone’s day better. She serves, stays after school to help a classmate who’s struggling with math or brings a meal to an elderly neighbor. He writes a note of encouragement to a friend who is struggling.
A solid teammate looks to help you when you’re hurting and point you to Christ.
As we determine the positive characteristics that form healthy relationships, it becomes easier for us to assess whether we’ve got a good support system or not. And it gives us the courage to make adjustments, if necessary, to best surround ourselves with dynamic spiritual teammates.
- Who are the people in your life that are encouraging in your faith journey?
- How can you become the type of person who encourages others?
- What adjustments might you need to make with who you give your time and energy to?
Proverbs 17:17; Jeremiah 17:7; Colossians 3:12
“Thank You that You give us the great example of love and service. Help shape me into the kind of person who can encourage and serve the people around me. Please bring more people into my life who will share the light of Jesus with me and help me grow in my faith. You are a good God, and I look to You in all I do. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
