Why Can’t We Work Together?
“WHY CAN’T WE WORK TOGETHER?”
Well, the quick and easy answer is “the devil.” I heard it said many times, “The devil made me do it!”
Yes, we would like to blame the devil for “Why We Can’t Work Together,” and for all the other bad behavior we display along with the inappropriate behavior of others too; it’s the devil’s doing. Yes, John 8:44 tells us “The devil was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him,” and John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” So, YES, the devil is certainly “a factor” in “Why Can’t We Work Together” as he sought to destroy the innocence in the beginning andseeks to demolish any unity and harmony among people through creating division.
However, let’s not be so quick to blame everything on the devil, because if the whole truth is told, we all know that we had a starring role in that performance of sin. Yes, there are times when we are genuinely naïve, without experience and good judgment concerning the devil’s schemes. However, I would dare to say more times than not we are simply high-minded instead of humble in our approach to dealing with people and the predicaments before us. Yes, brothers, any time you want to be like Burger King and “Have It YOUR way” & “YOU Rule” instead of doing it GOD’s way, YOU are walking in “high-mindedness”, YOU are walking in PRIDE, which destroys any and all hope of togetherness and unity.
“Why Can’t We Work Together?” That’s the question before us!
There was a man who asked a very similar, PROFOUND QUESTION after experiencing a horrific predicament that led to nationwide protest. The question that he asked was, “Can We All Get Along?” Mr. Rodney King’s famous plea, “Can We All Get Along?” was spoken during a press conference on May 1, 1992, in an attempt to de-escalate the violence and racial tension that had erupted over the acquittal of four LAPD officers that had beaten him. He addressed the public at a press conference, saying, “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”
Now, greater than three plus decades later, the question is still unanswered and even more valid today than it was then. “Can We All Get Along?”
I’m not sure if Mr. King was a believer in Jesus Christ or not, nor am I saying he was a prophet of God, but I know God will use whomever to deliver a message. Mr. King delivered a message, if not for a nation, then certainly for me because every time I think of his question, “Can We All Get Along,” it causes me to reflect on the Bible. Do you recall when Cain said to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” This statement, as you all know was said after he killed his brother, Abel. I also think about 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 when Apostle Paul says, “My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided?
I then think about Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-23, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.”
“Can We All Get Along” or “Why Can’t We Work Together?” Both of these questions seek an answer, an answer from those inside the Body of Christ and from those without. YES, the devil is part of the answer, but not solely because in addition to the devil, these questions highlight man’s deficiency in the trait of humility and showcase his frequent high-minded attitude, his PRIDE. Whether you have white pride, black pride, or any Pride—- Scripture is replete and declares in James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Unfortunately, brothers, there are those who would profess to be Christians yet are very high-minded to the degree that they look down upon another because of a different skin color. Who would do such a thing? Only a person who is deceived by the devil. Only a person who does not walk in humility and does not recognize that they are saved by GRACE alone. Only a person who is blinded by their pride and greed thus forfeiting the blessing of teamwork, togetherness, and unity in Christ Jesus. Listen to what unity looks like in Acts 2:44-47, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
When we practice an attitude of humility—- unity, togetherness and teamwork naturally follow as we then reflect the ONE true Body of Christ. It is then we accomplish amazing things for God through Christ Jesus. So, the question is no longer “Can We All Get Along, or Why Can’t We Work Together” but rather, “Can God Use You?” Will YOU allow God to use YOU to promote UNITY and ONENESS for Him in the earth? “For there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female, [black or white]. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” —Galatians 3:28. So, “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” —Ephesians 4:3.
