Death By Committee
A task becomes so laborious nothing ever gets done.
Reference: “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV
Explore: I have worked for a number of Christian organisations – church and parachurch – who love a committee. To get anything accomplished they first need to nominate a group of people to discuss it.
Once the deciding committee has discussed things for a few meetings (which has taken a few months to co-ordinate) they then put an action committee into place. Any time the actions committee want to do anything they need sign off from the discussion committee, and so, a task becomes so laborious nothing ever gets done.
Discussion is healthy and actions are imperative, however, this process often just allows for disagreement and stalling. If the group was united in the first place, then there would be more trust and respect for those who are aiming to complete the original task.
Application: As we read through 1 Corinthians I think we will find the issues that often arise in our churches today also happened thousands of years ago. The church in Corinth was facing much more secular pressure than we do here in Australia, however, Paul addresses issues that happen the world over.
Unity is an issue most groups have. It’s challenging to bring a diverse group of people together, all with different skills and opinions, and get them to work towards the one goal.
And yet, unity is pivotal in being a healthy group. And it is amazing how much you can accomplish when you all work together.
We all work in different groups, so let us set our minds on unity as we strive to bring God’s Kingdom here on earth.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the many different people You bring into my life. May I accept diversity, but strive for unity in all I do. Amen.
How can you assist unity today?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.