“Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble.And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (TLB)
God never meant for you to go through life isolated, trying to do everything by yourself. Success happens when you work alongside others.
One reason Nehemiah succeeded in rebuilding Jerusalem is because he broke the work down into manageable tasks among many different people. In Nehemiah 3, 18 teams helped to make repairs, and you see the phrase “next to him” or “next to them” 21 times.
Nehemiah wanted the people to understand something. He gave them a pep talk that went something like this: “If you get tired and discouraged, just look to your left and look to your right, and you'll see people working next to you. You’ll realize you're not alone. You’re part of a team.”
He helped people feel part of something bigger than themselves. He did this by creating a spirit of teamwork among the people.
The New Testament uses the phrase “one another” 58 times. The Bible says we’re to love one another, help one another, serve one another, bear one another’s burdens, and so on. This is how you develop a team spirit.
Why is a team spirit essential to reaching your goals?
The Bible says, “Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 TLB).
The Apostle Paul understood this principle of developing a team spirit. He never did any of his ministry alone. He always took a team with him. The same is true with Jesus. His entire ministry was done with a group of 12 people. In fact, the first thing Jesus did in his ministry was build a small group.
Maybe you’re struggling to accomplish your goal because you’ve been going at it alone. Remember, you were never meant to live without community. The work God has for you will always be accomplished in partnership with others.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Your Gift Brings Hope to the World
Discover God’s purpose for your life—and help someone else do the same.
Pastor Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life has transformed millions of lives—and this expanded edition makes it even easier to grow spiritually.
Here’s what you’ll discover inside:
Video teaching from Pastor Rick at the start and end of every chapter.
End-of-chapter prompts to help you think more deeply about your purpose.
Two powerful bonus chapters addressing the biggest barriers to living a purpose driven life.
This book is an incredible resource for your own spiritual growth—and gifting it to someone is a powerful and effective way to introduce someone you love to Jesus.
So request your copy today, for yourself or someone you care about, as our thanks for your gift. And thank you for your partnership.
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of “current offer” materials you received from Daily Hope.
