During Creation, we get the first hint of the value of teamwork when the almighty said, “Let us make man in our image.” After God had made Adam, he eventually said that it was not good for man to be alone and that he needed a helper. So, right from the story of creation, we can infer that God places a lot of premium on teamwork. And there are a lot of Bible verses that confirm this. Let’s have a look at some of these below.

Team Members Make You Better

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)

One of the advantages of teamwork is that your team members will shape you and make you better. However skilled you are, there is always something you do not know. When in a team, you can benefit from each other’s strengths and that will ultimately cover up other persons weaknesses. By learning from others, you will become better over time. 

Developing People Skills

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)

People will always be different. When in a team, you will find some annoying people, others that are lazy, and others that might come off as weird. But unbeknownst to you, there is someone in your team who finds you just as annoying. As you work together in a team, you learn to work with all kinds of people. You learn to be patient, submissive, and understanding. Suffice it to say that working in a team is a great way of developing invaluable people skills. 

Strengthening the Weak

We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves. (Romans 15:1)

The scripture above reminds those who are strong to use that as an opportunity to edify those who are weak. Even though the scripture was talking about faith, the same principle can be extrapolated in teamwork. If you are strong in a certain area, you should use that as an opportunity to develop and help those who are struggling in the same area. In the words of Jesus, “To whom much has been given, much shall be required.” 

Source of Encouragement

Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

You may never know how much your team members need encouragement. Apart from the issues that arise from whatever you are working on, they may also be dealing with many other personal challenges. Some might be on the verge of giving up. A word of encouragement might just be what is needed to put them on the right track. 

Be Kind

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

A little kindness goes a long way. The world is cruel enough and as Christians, we are reminded to be kind to those around us – especially those in our teams. Being kind means many things but it includes forgiveness and being tenderhearted. People will make mistakes and it is human to want to judge them but we must always remember how Christ forgave us instead of judging. In Mathew 7, Jesus threw a challenge to his disciples. He reminded them how ironic it was to see the speck in another person’s eyes while ignoring the log in their eyes. He intentionally used hyperbole to remind us that whenever we get judgmental, we are ignoring our shortcomings. Kindness stems from realizing your inadequacies and thereby extending grace to others. 

Working As One

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:6)

Unity is strength. In Genesis 11, the people united to do something truly remarkable. They were building a tower to reach God. After observing them build the tower, God was impressed with their unity and said that there was nothing that would stop them from pursuing their goal to the end – so he decided to confuse their language and the building stopped. 

This is arguably one of the best illustrations of the power of unity. They say teamwork makes dreams work but that is only true if there is genuine unity in the team. It is incumbent upon every Christian to pursue unity in any team they are part of. The devil understands the power of unity and will often throw an apple of discord in your team. But you must resist his advances and as James 4:7 says, he will flee from you. 

Be Good

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

One of the challenges of working with people is that you might be paired with colleagues who are not as committed to the task at hand as you may be. This can be quite demoralizing for those who are giving their all. If you find yourself in such a circumstance, be reminded of the words of Galatians 6:9 – just keep giving it your best and you will eventually reap the benefits of your exemplary work. 

Sometimes, your colleagues may not give their all but still want to take credit for the group effort. Sometimes, they may not necessarily take credit but your supervisors may not necessarily recognize you for the above-and-beyond effort you are putting in. But God is a faithful judge and he sees everything. This is why Paul wrote the following words;

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (Col. 3:23)

Conclusion

As we have seen, the Bible has quite a lot to say about teamwork. By and large, God expects every Christian to respect their colleagues and their work because ultimately, every work we do is a service to God. Those who approach their work with this understanding eventually enjoy the reward of their labor.