I Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.

So it is with Christ...But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be...Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Another analogy we see between athletics--and especially football--and the Christian life is the necessity of working well together. Teamwork is vital to success. Each person has his unique position or place in life, and using his special gifts benefits both the person himself and the other members of the team.

Possibly the greatest example of teamwork in existence is the human body. It wouldn't occur to us to oppose ourselves, for one part of our body to fight with another part. The whole body cooperates, each member doing its part to help the body operate at its full potential.

On a football team, the players cooperate with each other to help the team operate at its full potential. The players on the same team wouldn't dream of tackling each other. They work together, each member doing his part in an effort to defeat the opposing team.

Christians of all backgrounds, cultures, and denominations are on the same team. We are teammates with each other. God wants us to cooperate with each other. He wants each one of us to do our God given part to help our team operate at its full potential. He desires that we work together to defeat the evil forces that oppose us. It would be foolish for us to oppose our own teammates, wouldn't it? What would that do to the effectiveness of our efforts on behalf of God's kingdom?

God's words from I Cor. 12:25, "There should be no division in the body."

Father, help us to see our brothers and sisters in Christ as teammates. Cause us to love them, accept them, respect them, help them, work with them, and encourage them. Amen.