Read: 1 Corinthians 12:17–20
Meditation verse:
“If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?” — 1 Corinthians 12:17.
A winning team is not made up of people who are alike—but of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives, and personalities, working in unity. As the Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12, the body functions effectively because its parts are different yet complementary. Leadership expert John Maxwell once said,
“Great things happen when all the players on the team take the role that maximizes their strengths.” Research confirms this: “the most successful teams are those that embrace diversity and allow each member to contribute from their area of strength”.
In marriage, for instance, husband and wife have different roles and strengths, but both are equally valuable. One is not superior to the other. What matters is that each person honours the other’s uniqueness and works together toward a common goal. Every member of a team matters. When one person fails to show up or play their part, the whole team suffers.
In football, if the goalkeeper or striker is missing, the entire team is affected. The same principle applies in families, churches, businesses, and communities. Ephesians 4:16 reinforces this truth: “From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body…”
In healthy teams, the language is not “me” or “mine” but “us” and “ours.” When one person wins, the whole team wins. When one stumbles, everyone feels the impact. Responsibilities and rewards must be shared. But a team also needs a leader. Without leadership, even the best-equipped team will drift.
The leader sets the tone, direction, and culture of the group. In a marriage, the husband is called to lead with love and vision. In a church, it’s the pastor. In an organization, it may be the manager, director, or CEO. The leader ensures that goals are clear, tasks are assigned, and members are cared for.
Finally, winning teams are forward-looking. They are not satisfied with past victories. They keep growing, stretching, and pressing on toward new goals. A stagnant marriage, ministry, or workplace loses momentum. Without vision, there is decline—and eventually, death: dead relationships, dead churches, dead dreams. Where there is no vision, people perish (Proverbs 29:18).
So, whether you’re leading a home, a team, or a ministry, ask yourself: What are we building together? Where are we going next?
IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye
Founder: The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM)
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