Make the A-Team!
Teams work together for the benefit of all involved. When we think of teams, we think of sports or business relationships. But have you thought of your personal relationships in terms of being an A-Team?
Operating as an A-Team can build relationships and benefit everyone. Relationships that work as an A-Team collaborate, brainstorm, encourage, and protect each other’s interest.
My husband and I call ourselves, “Team Fennimore.” Our routine when we go to town is for me to drive and my husband to navigate. He becomes my co-pilot and tells me when to watch out for oncoming cars and if it’s clear to change lanes.
There was a time in my life where that would have insulted me. My pride would have engaged and ruffled the feathers of my ego. My husband would probably have heard me say something like, “I know! I see them! Don’t you think I know how to drive?” But not anymore.
We both recognize that our reflexes and responses are not as sharp, and our awareness and memory often wander into lala land. With my stiff neck and his eyesight, working as a team makes 1+1=better!
Yes, aging humbles us but does not guarantee that we will let go of that ego that festers and digs in our heart when we perceive that others might think us as incompetent. If only I had understood this principle and blessing when I was younger.
I admit that back then, I may not have understood the concept because of my pride. It wasn’t until God took me through trials, did He reveal to me that not only am I not perfect, but I am not supposed to be. It wasn’t aging that humbled me. It was the transforming power of the Word of God.
I still wrestle with pride as we all do. But not a day goes by where God doesn’t remind me that it’s okay to make mistakes, have accidents, and forget things. He also reminds me to let go of things that don’t matter.
So what if I look foolish, fell down, wore my hat backwards, or lost my shine. What matters is what God thinks of me, and what God thinks of me is found in my soul. I learned that it’s easy to shrink in the light of God’s Holiness, and when I embrace the position God designed me for, I can accept myself for who I am, flaws and all.
Trying to live up to the image that the world sets for me is tiring, discouraging, and fruitless. Living up to the image God sets for me is easy. Remember Jesus said - “My yoke is easy and my burden light.
Back to being an A-Team…I have discovered that when I accept my flaws, I can accept help from others. But operating as a team also means that we accept the flaws of the other members when they forget, fail and fall. This is when we practice virtue love, forgiveness and grace. We don’t blame, we encourage, and support.
If you are on a strong A-Team, you are blessed! If you feel you are on the B-team, there is hope, but know that it will have to start with you. Sorry, that’s how God works. Because the A-team requires humility through the transforming power of the Word of God plus the power of the Holy Spirit for strength. Sure, there can be temporary moments of playing on the A-team, but without the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, you will often find yourself sitting alone on the sidelines. And who wants that? Here are some verses to ponder.
James 4:10 Humble yourself before the lord, and he will lift you up.
1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
But there is often a hidden element we women possess that can hinder the formation of an A-Team, not just with our spouse, but in friendships and family relationships. Next week we’ll discover what that element is and how to change it to experience what God intended for us.
May God reveal to you His love, and you experience His rich blessings through the principles found in His Word.
Cheers to teamwork!
Gloria Fennimore
