Recently, I began a study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in a continuous sequence. Before I started, I wondered what more I could glean from Genesis 1, which I had studied many times in the past. I wanted to approach this Book with a fresh eye. I asked the Holy Spirit to do for me what He does best–give me a fresh revelation of the truth in God’s Word.
He did give me several new revelations in Genesis 1, but verse 26 was brilliantly spotlighted — “Let us create man in our image…” The three persons of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Ghost consulted, and concurred in the creation of man. There was a partnership and inclusiveness of these Three before man was created.
Proverbs 27:17 tells us “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” It is mutually beneficial when two iron blades are rubbed together, the edges become sharper and they become more efficient in their task of cutting. We shine brightly like well-sharpened knives when we unite in harmony. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is when brothers gather together in unity…” (Psalm 133:1).
From the foregoing, we can deduce that we will need to form God-directed partnerships in order to fulfil our assignment, our calling and our destiny. The Bible is replete with many examples of people who consulted with each other, formed partnerships and alliances, and collaborated to achieve a common goal and purpose. Some were for good and some were for evil.
The Shunamite woman of 2 Kings 4 consulted with her husband and proposed to him that they extend hospitality to the Prophet, Elisha. She said, “Let us.” It was not a small thing she proposed, but they agreed to build an extension to their home and to furnish the “apartment” for Elisha. This proposal is obviously a product of careful deliberation in addition to the display of kindness, thoughtfulness and appreciation of the man of God. But the final decision was in agreement. It is amazing to note how this decision eventually affected their lives for good—propelling them into parenthood.
Marriage is an important relationship where husbands and wives must consult together, and work in partnership, agreement and unity of purpose in every decision making and in fulfilling their God-given purpose. Consultation and agreement are critical for a thriving relationship
Collaboration and partnerships in other spheres of our lives also have rippling effects. “Let us” as the starting point of consultation and partnership provides us with the opportunity to advise, exhort, stir up and encourage one another to the work proposed. It is a call for the execution of purpose. It gives us a chance to tap into the skills and resources that God has invested in others, which they bring into the relationship, and which God is poised to use to enhance our skills and resources, and to propel us to greater achievements.
Early in 2013, God laid on my heart to invite Bidemi to speak at a Women’s seminar in Geneva. My initial plan was to organize it by myself. I consulted my husband and shared my thoughts with him. He advised me to involve the Women Group in our church. I took his counsel and approached the leader of the group with the idea. The entire group adopted the idea and enthusiastically contributed to the preparation towards the Seminar. On the day of the Seminar, I was in coma in the hospital. I found out 3 weeks later that the Seminar had been held and it went very well, far beyond my imagination. So many women were blessed.
When you are one in agreement, in spirit and purpose with your partner, collaborator or assigned helper, there is no limit to what you can accomplish together especially when it is God-directed and pursued to fulfil God’s purpose for your lives. Unity, agreement in purpose and goal, enables us to harness our talents and push forward faster in accomplishing our assignments and calling.
In Genesis 11:1-9, the people were united and in agreement, and they were going to do the never-done- and never-seen-before but, unfortunately, their goal was in conflict with God’s purpose.
So God proposed another “Let Us” with the Son and the Holy Spirit. This time, it was to go down and confuse the language of the people (vs. 7), so that they will not understand each other. If people can’t speak the same language, they will not understand each other and agree together, and they won’t be able to help one another. Ultimately, this will put them off the track of their goal or the project they have embarked upon. Their progress will lose momentum and grind to a halt.
Unity in purpose leads to a change in the way things are done and the rate at which the change occurs. There is gain in the momentum. Those involved are gingered up as they encourage one another and cheer each other on to achieve their purpose and goal. Working with partners who share the same vision and faith as you can be such a blessing. You are able to pray for each other, encourage each other and build lasting relationships beyond the business.
When we stand together in oneness and agreement, our purpose and goals are aligned, we leverage each other’s efforts and we stand to achieve more than we would have done individually. We gain more mileage and are propelled beyond our wildest imagination.
“We are in this together is a better philosophy than you are on your own.”–Bill Clinton.
Author’s Note: This article is a rewrite of a blog earlier posted on www.touchinglives4good.blogpost.com.