Putting Our Strengths Together

Putting Our Strengths Together

Have you ever had to accomplish something that was difficult to do on your own? But as soon as others joined you in your goal, then together you were strong enough for the work? In God’s household we are not alone in our service for Him. We can strive together toward that goal.

Philippians 1:27:
…stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

When believing men and women join together, they can accomplish tremendous feats for God and His people. This is a truth we see throughout God’s Word.

One such example of believing men and women working together is the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall during the time of Nehemiah. In the Old Testament, after the Judeans had been in captivity under the Babylonians and then the Persians, God worked in the heart of one of these Judeans, Nehemiah by name, to go and help restore the city of Jerusalem, which was sitting in ruins with its walls broken down.

With the support of the Persian king for whom he worked, Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem and laid out his vision of rebuilding the wall to a team of builders. He built their believing to the point that they were determined to put their strengths together and accomplish this goal.

Nehemiah 2:17,18:
Then said I
[Nehemiah] unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for
this good work.

Nehemiah, chapter 3, lists the many mighty Judeans who worked together on this project along with their sons and daughters. Because these people had a mind to work together toward this goal, the wall was getting built.

Nehemiah 4:6:
So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind
[heart] to work.

Nehemiah could not have built this wall alone, but as chapter 4 shows, together they were strong enough to achieve their goal. Even when they faced opposition from their enemies, they continued to build until the wall was completed.

Nehemiah 4:16:
And it came to pass from that time forth,
that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

Nehemiah 6:15:
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth
day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

Nehemiah and the builders of the wall were convinced that together they were strong enough to do what God wanted them to do. Working together for God, they overcame opposition and accomplished this monumental task. They were stronger when they put their strengths together.

In the Grace Administration, born-again believers with the power of the holy spirit within are stronger together in the Body of Christ. Reflected in the Church Epistles, the Apostle Paul’s individual strength as a believer was certainly without question. As he wrote by revelation, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). But we can also see that Paul worked together with other believers who were like-minded with him on the goal of moving God’s Word.

Colossians 4:7-12:
All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you,
who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is
one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only
are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
Epaphras, who is
one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Romans 16:3,4,7,9,21:
Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

These believers strived together in their service to God. We too are brethren, ministers, fellow servants, and fellow workers with one another in the Body of Christ. And together we are laborers with God.

I Corinthians 3:9:
For we are labourers together with God….

When believing men and women join together, they can accomplish tremendous feats for God and His people. None of us is as strong as all of us. We are stronger when we put our strengths together!

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