Joshua 12:6 “Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.”
True Teamwork
Have you ever made a promise that you had forgotten about until someone came to “cash in” on it? Sometimes promises are easy to make and hard to keep! Two and a half tribes of Israel promised to help everyone else conquer the land before settling themselves on the other side of Jordan (Numbers 32). Their story of conquest in Joshua chapter 12 reminds us that teamwork is important.
Teamwork is not satisfied until individual successes contribute to a common goal. It would’ve been easy for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh to rest on their laurels and check out when their portion of land was conquered. Instead, what they agreed to do was conquer a land they wouldn’t own, build houses they wouldn’t live in, and farm lands that they wouldn’t enjoy the fruit of. They were part of God’s people fulfilling God’s command.
Now, we are not Israel, and you are not going to conquer any lands today. But the application is clear, isn’t it? Teamwork in any given situation (local church, ministry, job, home, etc.) is not satisfied until your individual success contributes to a common goal. There is nothing wrong with having individual responsibility, but do not let “my” part distract from the goal of the “team.”
Teamwork is the context for keeping your word. Moses kept his word concerning the inheritance for these two and a half tribes, and the tribes kept their word to fulfill their responsibility to the other Israelites. Keep your word and remember your responsibilities!
If you have common responsibility, that is communism. If you have only Individual goals, that is chaos. No matter who you are, what you do, or where you serve, never forget that teamwork needs a common goal and individual responsibility.