Not One of Us Is as Smart as All of Us

For the most part, we live in an individualistic, some say even narcissistic, world. It’s the age of the “selfie,” SnapChat and TikTok: “It’s all about me!” on steroids. Not to disparage folks who frequent such apps, but it’s a shame more of us haven’t bought into the “we’re better together” philosophy.

 

Years ago, a friend at work would often comment, “Not one of us is as smart as all of us.” If we ponder that for a moment, we understand the truth of such a simple statement. We all bring something different to the party, so to speak, and to maximize our success, we need one another.

Over my 17 years as a magazine editor, I had many highlights, including the people I interviewed for articles – folks both well-known and unknown, but all outstanding, inspirational examples of what it means to live and work for Jesus Christ. Traveling to interesting places and writing articles based on those interviews were great fun. But some of my most memorable moments came during planning meetings for the magazine. 

 

Being responsible for the magazine’s content, I would arrive for each session with concepts about how the articles should be presented. But our graphic designer, my assistant editor, and other staff people would come with their own points of view. We’d bounce ideas back and forth, sometimes laughing, sometimes arguing, but always in the spirit of creative friction with a shared goal of producing the best possible edition of the magazine.

 

Without fail, once we reviewed the final, printed copies of the publication, we’d conclude that the whole – the end result – was greater than the sum of the parts. We became living proof of my friend’s “not one of us is as smart as all of us” adage.

 

Thinking about teams, competitors on an athletic field or sports arena typically come to mind, but teams are important for virtually any area of endeavor, whether it’s in business, the home, a classroom, repair shop, construction site, retail store, emergency responders, or even politics. Just as long as the mission embraced is shared and has higher priority than personal agendas.

 

Two of my favorite “teamwork” passages from the Scriptures come to mind, the first being, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Over the course of my working career, I’ve experienced many times when people helped me become better at what I was doing – and I’d like to think I somehow assisted some in their work, too. 

 

This is true in marriages as well. The adage says “opposites attract,” but even when a husband and wife have similar interests and temperaments, they can still learn to complement themselves in areas where they are different.

 

During the climactic stage of His creation, God determined, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). The term “helper” might be better translated “completer,” or as one Bible’s footnote suggests, “The woman was made by God to complement him, to make up for the man’s deficiency.” Over more than 4½ decades of marriage, this has the experience my wife and I have had – partnering together and complementing one another, “iron sharpening iron.”

Another passage in the Scriptures that underscores the importance of teaming together is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which says:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

 

If you take a long strand of thread, you can probably break it with relative ease. If you add a second strand, you still might be able to snap them in two. But if you take three or more strands of thread and twist them together, it will be difficult if not impossible to break them. That, in a sense, is how a good team works together, supporting one another and complementing each other’s strengths. 

 

This is one reason God uses the human body as a metaphor for His earthly “body,” the Church. Being in a variety of congregations and denominations, we might have differences in worship styles, traditions and doctrinal emphasis. But as the apostle Paul admonished, calling for unity among believers:

“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. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink…. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it…” (1 Corinthians 12:12-31).

Each one of us has individual goals and objectives in life, but for the most part we’ll find that if we work together, pooling our resources and capitalizing on our respective talents and strengths, the likelihood of achieving those goals and objectives will be much greater. Because not one of us is as smart as all of us. 

Why Having Talent Usually Isn’t Enough

Have you ever wondered why some talented people manage to achieve so much, while others with considerable talent seem mired in mediocrity? Sometimes less-talented individuals rise to levels of accomplishment that more-talented peers can only envy.

We see this in every area of life: “Most likely to succeed” high school graduates who never amount to anything out of the ordinary, while largely overlooked classmates rise to prominence. Sometimes even becoming nationally or internationally known in their chosen fields of endeavor. We see this with school teachers, physicians, authors and artists, business executives, military leaders, musicians, athletes, scientists and innovators.

So what’s the difference? What separates the truly accomplished person from talented ones who never fulfill their potential? There can be many contributing factors: finding the right environments for using their talents; inner motivation; effective training and mentoring. Maybe you can think of others. But there’s one factor we usually don’t hear about.

Brian Kight, a noted business consultant and motivational speaker, explained a key reason he has observed for the difference.“Talent is common. Discipline is rare,” he said. “The combination is elite. Discipline produces what talent promises.”

Among Kight’s clients are sports teams, an ideal place for seeing how wide is the gap between talent and achievement. Take, my favorite sport – college football. Every year during the pre-season, pundits study the various rosters – returning starters, four- and five-star recruits, caliber of coaching – and submit their projections for the coming season.

These so-called experts have done their research, devoted many hours to their respective analyses, and submitted their best-educated guesses. Invariably, some of their prognostications fall short, sometimes stunningly so. One reason is that you can’t judge on-field performance based on talent alone.

As Kight has suggested, a key factor for determining success is discipline. Athletes maximizing their talents by spending countless hours in training and conditioning programs; focusing on their respective responsibilities; preparing diligently for upcoming opponents, and working together effectively. Their names also don’t appear on the police blotters for doing things they shouldn’t have been doing.

Discipline is a recurring theme in the Scriptures, as well. When we read about “discipline” in the Bible, it’s not speaking about punishment for wrongdoing, but rather God’s method for correcting and training His children. For instance, Proverbs 3:11 admonishes, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in.”

Another passage, Hebrews 12:5-7, says much the same:

“… ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.’”

Obviously these passages refer to our being disciplined by the Lord, rather than self-discipline. But again, to use the football analogy, a successful coach will discipline players in a variety of ways. At the same time, he expects them to implement discipline in their own lives as well.

Writing to his protégé, Timothy, the apostle Paul instructed him to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the worth of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). He’s saying that to be a genuine, fruitful follower of Jesus Christ, we can’t be passive. We must be consciously striving, working diligently and with discipline to become the men and women God intends for us to be.

As another passage tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to all who love him” (James 1:12). To persevere means much more than to simply endure or withstand difficult times; it means to courageously face adversity, working through it and seeking to remain true to the goals and purposes we believe the Lord has provided for us.

Paul also liked to use sporting metaphors. Referring to athletic competitions that were common in his day, he wrote, "Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable" (1 Corinthians 9:25). Or as the New Living Translation expresses it, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

The Scriptures don’t use the word “talent” as much as they do “gifts,” but it’s clear that every believer has at least one spiritual gift that God intends for us to use for His glory. Through devotion and discipline, we can use those gifts in such a way that we will one day hear Him welcome us with, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” (Matthew 25:21). Just to hear this will have made our discipline more than worth any sacrifice it required.

Never Underestimate Teamwork

Teamwork is important to a marching band's excellence, just
as it is for a football team, on the gridiron.

One of the best things about competitive sports, especially team sports, is observing how principles that contribute to athletic success also relate to everyday life. Athletes in sports like golf or tennis are basically on their own, vying for victory one-on-one. But in most other sports, the team dynamic is an integral part of what Wide World of Sports used to call “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

Taylor Decker, an All-American offensive tackle at the Ohio State University, emphasized this in explaining why he chose to return for his senior year and helped the Buckeyes to another very successful season. He could have left after his junior season and taken his talents to the National Football League but opted to complete his last year of collegiate eligibility.

“A huge reason I came back (was) for that brotherhood, that camaraderie in the locker room,” Decker said. “That’s what makes it fun. Because workouts aren’t really fun, and practice isn’t really fun, but doing it with your guys, doing it with people you love, that’s what makes it fun.”

These key ingredients for effective teamwork – camaraderie, mutual support, and merging of complementary skills – are crucial to a winning effort, not only on the gridiron, basketball court, baseball diamond and soccer field, but also in the business world, the military, music, even in marriage and parenting.

Living in the age of the “selfie,” when many people seem preoccupied with themselves, we’re at risk of devaluing the importance of teamwork. Everyone seems to be screaming, “Look at me!” Few are saying, “Look at us.” But in reality, living and working in isolation can limit us in more ways than one.

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes addresses this powerfully. It states, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Watching a football game, we see this demonstrated as offensive linemen join together to open holes for running backs and to protect the quarterback. But we also see it every day in our own lives.

My first job in journalism was serving as editor of a small community newspaper. I was the entire editorial staff, the proverbial “cook and bottle washer.” I did everything from covering city government and school board meetings to writing wedding announcements and obituaries. It was an excellent learning experience, but I felt relieved several years later when the publisher agreed to let me hire an assistant to share the load.

As a father, it’s been my joy and privilege to team with my wife in raising our children and now, pitching in to help with the grandkids from time to time. That’s one reason I so admire the resolve of single parents, striving by themselves to do the job of parenting that’s best done by mom and dad together.

The biblical passage continues, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:10). We often see this in action on the football field, when a player is tackled or knocked down and a teammate extends a hand to help him back to his feet. But daily life also has a way of knocking us down, too, and it’s encouraging when a “teammate” – whether at work or in the home – offers a hand to help us back up.

A final portion of the Ecclesiastes passage relates to the gridiron, but I’ve experienced it many times and in many ways during my own life: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). This is one of the values of business partnerships. The principals not only share in the financial investment, but also team together to overcome obstacles, combat adversity, and share their respective talents and gifts in the pursuit of common goals and objectives.

This principle holds true spiritually as well. As Hebrews 10:24-25 admonishes us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another….”

Another new year is bearing down on us, and some of us will be setting goals or resolutions to grow spiritually and become more effective ambassadors for Jesus Christ. We’d be wise to recognize this can’t be done in a vacuum, that as we see throughout the Scriptures, spiritual growth and service to the Lord also is a “team sport.”

Who are you going to team with in 2016 to become all you can be for God?

Trying to Do It Alone

We learn at an early age the value of teamwork and being with others.

There is something about the American mystique, the “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” mentality, that’s stuck with us. Pilgrims setting off for a strange, unseen land, uncertain what they would encounter. Pioneers heading westward to explore uncharted territory. Visionary inventors toiling in solitude, pursuing innovative ideas. We take pride in our independent spirit.

But the reality is, to succeed in life we really can’t do it alone. Just as a healthy body is made up of organs working in concert with each other, a successful life is the byproduct of the skills, talents and contributions of many people.

During the years I served as a magazine editor, when each new issue came out I marveled. “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts” was never truer than when examining each freshly printed edition. It had been the result of writers, editors, graphic designers, editorial assistants and the team that brainstormed titles and artwork for each article. As a friend of mine often said, “Not one of us is as smart as all of us combined.”

During the election, President Obama rankled many small business owners when he made the ill-advised comment, “You didn’t build this.” In one respect he was right – without government services and resources, businesses couldn’t function properly. But the people that owned the businesses were the ones that lay awake at night agonizing over issues such as meeting payroll, deciding what risks to take, wondering how to attract more customers, etc.

Yet, even with such entrepreneurial zeal, any successful business has been built upon the shoulders of many gifted, hard-working individuals – employees as well as employers.

Currently I’m helping an individual write an account of rising from the wreckage of a troubled childhood. Through determination and hard work, he’s built a successful career. But he didn’t get there alone. Many people entered his life at different times, making helpful gestures or providing timely opportunities. He was wise enough to take advantage of each, and he’s hoping his life story will encourage others in rising above their adverse circumstances.

Even in the spiritual realm the “I can do it all by myself” mindset seems to have prevailed. When the motion picture, “God Is My Co-Pilot,” came out in 1945, it became a motto for decades to follow, even on bumper stickers. In other words, “God, I’ve got this – but stay close in case I need you, OK?”

The so-called “Christian life” is often perceived as a singular pursuit, trying to be good and doing good things for God. Experience has taught me, however, there is nothing we can do for God. Rather, He desires to do things through us. That’s why Jesus said, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and the apostle Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Nowhere in the Scriptures does it endorse a “lone ranger” approach to spirituality. Instead, they teach us to recognize our insufficiency apart from the transforming power of Christ and support from other believers.

This reliance on Christ is clearly expressed in Ephesians 2:8-10, which states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We can’t do it alone – but with Christ, the sky’s the limit.

No One Can Make It Alone

You’ve probably heard the story about the turtle atop the fence post. It’s simple: He didn’t make it there alone.

That illustration underscores an everyday truism – to succeed in whatever you’re trying to achieve, you can’t make it alone. Our country was built on the shoulders of people that exhibited rugged individualism, along with the so-called “can-do spirit.” But even the most accomplished needed help.

Steven Jobs has announced he’s stepping down as CEO of Apple, Inc., due to declining health. Under Jobs’ leadership Apple became one of the world’s most powerful corporations. But he didn’t do it all by himself, and Apple’s likely to continue its successful course because of the contributions of many talented people.

Our lives are living proof that you can’t make it alone. Inspired and encouraged by teachers and college professors, I decided to turn my favorite hobby – writing – into a career. And what small success I’ve had as a journalist over the past four decades is due in part to people that hired me, bosses who mentored me, and others who assisted me in various ways.

I couldn’t begin to list all the people who have participated in my spiritual journey, teaching me in the good times and offering comfort and support during the tough times.

The idea of not being able to make it alone saturates the Scriptures. One of my favorite passages, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, declares, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up…. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Jesus, being the Son of God, certainly didn’t need help to accomplish His mission. Yet He surrounded Himself with eager, often faltering followers. When His time on earth ended, He entrusted the mission to them.

Because we need one another’s support, I’ve diligently invested in other men through mentoring over the years. The regular interchange experienced in a mentoring relationship is unparalleled. It’s mutually beneficial; you never know what you’ll learn from week to week, but you always learn something.

Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.” Through the years, God has used dozens of men to sharpen me; hopefully I’ve done the same for others.

At a time when the turbulent stock market puts any financial investment at risk, coming alongside another person wrestling with life’s complex issues is one investment that offers guaranteed dividends. We can’t do it alone, but what a privilege to contribute to someone else’s success!

Teamwork – A Real Snow Job

We’ve been busy shoveling out, like much of the nation. Snow, ranging from six to 10 inches, fell upon the Chattanooga area, the largest accumulation – our friendly meteorologists tell us – since the 24-inch snowfall of 1993.

Other parts of the U.S. have seen much more snow this winter. But for our area, several inches of snow on Christmas Day followed by early Monday’s frosty blanket is more than Southeastern Tennessee folks are used to.

Looking at the snow is fun. Shoveling it, as well as driving in it on our hilly terrain, isn’t. But this morning our snowy street provided a classic example of a timely adage: Many hands might light work.

Surveying our ice-encrusted street was daunting, but something had to be done. I had succeeded in driving down it to take my wife to work, but trying to drive back up was another matter. After several attempts, my car got stuck at the bottom.

I spread some rock salt on particularly problematic spots, hoping once the sun came out the ice and snow would melt enough to permit safe passage. Then several neighbors joined me in chipping away the ice and clearing a path for our vehicles. In less than an hour, we had freeze-free tracks opened and I was able to drive my car up the hill and then down our driveway (which I had already cleared) into the garage.

They say workhorses teamed together can pull multiple times what they could pull separately, and we experienced a similar outcome in working shovels in unison to accomplish a common goal. As Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 tells us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work…. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Two Are Better Than One

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Over the weekend, my son-in-law, David, and I experienced the practical value of that biblical adage.

Our new kitchen sink had been draining poorly for several weeks, frequently backing up on both sides. Even a plumber seemed stumped at identifying the dilemma. Finally, David (a whiz at figuring out all things mechanical) and I (people that know me understand “Bob” and “mechanical” don’t belong in the same sentence) decided to take things into our own hands.

The problem, we surmised, was a blocked air vent on the roof. Until recently I didn’t even know a vent was required to expedite water flow – but since it was evident the pipes were not clogged, we decided to explore that possibility.

Because experience has taught me that when the term “do-it-yourselfer” was invented no one had me in mind, I wisely didn’t try climbing onto the roof until David became available.

It turned out to be a fairly simple procedure, much easier than I had anticipated, but without David’s instructions from below, there’s no telling how I might have complicated matters. Details aren’t important, but suffice it to say that if you have a predominantly right-brain thinker (me) to perform a left-brain task, he’s going to need help.

I was the guy on the roof working on the vent (you might say it was my attempt at getting up in the world). But without David’s handy “clog-buster” water hose attachment and his insightful guidance, I might still be up there, scratching my head and trying to figure out what to do.

It’s true that two are better than one. Our kitchen sink is now draining properly – one small step for mankind, one giant step for me.