A few times when our son Matthew was a boy, I made it a point to teach him the wonder of others-mindedness. I would draw 10 stick figures (the extent of my artistic skill) and then ask him, “If each one of these people thinks only of himself or herself, how many are thinking of each person?” Pausing briefly to understand the question, he would respond, “One.” Correct! Then I’d change the question: “If each one thinks only of the others, then how many are thinking about each one?” “Ten,” he’d reply. Well, nine actually, but you get the point. “Which is better?” I’d ask. The answer was obvious.
There is no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christian. In Kingdom math, one is none. “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.”1 But in Christ, God has built us into something much greater than alone: “Now you [plural] are the body of Christ,” wrote Paul to the Corinthians, “and each one [singular] of you is a part of it.”2 To believers in Rome, he repeated, “we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”3 The apostle yearned that believers’ “hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love.”4 In Kingdom math, many equals one.
We do greater things as a body united. We stand not apart from each other in individual weakness, but shoulder to shoulder with each other, united in Christ for the glory of His Kingdom and against our common enemy, “the cosmic powers [of] darkness . . . the spiritual forces of evil.”5 As we assume our individual Kingdom roles—our respective functions, gifts, and callings—under the lordship of Christ, His will is done and His church advances. People are saved and helped; moreover, His entire body is strengthened and encouraged, for it is awesome to see how God works through our brothers, our sisters, and, yes, even ourselves.
Solomon once observed: “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”6 So let us live greater—united as one with each other and looking out for the needs of all. If stick figures can do it, we can too.
Father, Your ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. Open us to Your Spirit, that He would do greater things in and through us, the living, breathing, united body of Christ, in Whose name we pray. Amen.
1 Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT
2 1 Corinthians 12:27
3 Romans 12:5
4 Colossians 2:2
5 Ephesians 6:12
6 Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT
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Paul Nordman—Author 
One reply on “We Would Do Greater Things”
Your new post emphasizes the importance of unity among believers in the context of Christianity. Using the analogy of stick figures, you illustrate the difference between self-centeredness and others-mindedness. Your message conveys that as a united body under Christ’s guidance, Christians can achieve greater things, overcome challenges, and support one another in their respective roles and gifts.
Q1.
How has the concept of unity among believers impacted your own spiritual journey and interactions with others in your faith community at IFI/UALC?
Q2.
Could you share another specific example from your life where you’ve witnessed the power of unity within the body of Christ, leading to a positive impact on individuals or the community as a whole?
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