Philippians 2:2-4 ...complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
I may have mentioned this before, but I have the distinct privilege of being a worship leader. Every weekend I am honored to stand beside some of the most amazing musicians and people I know and sing praises to our God.
I remember when the Holy Spirit laid this passage of Scripture on my heart as the cornerstone for our worship band. Honestly, I could spend hours writing about the dynamics of worship ministry and still it would be- let's just say less than comprehensive... but today isn't about the inter-personal dynamics of worship ministry.
The point I'm trying to make is that, in any worship band, as well in the body of Christ, unity is so so vital to success. On the flipside of that coin, one of the fastest ways to kill unity in any worship band as well as in the body of Christ is by being self-centered.
You see, the key to a great band isn't how talented or experienced the musicians are, it's how well they play together. The prevailing attitude in a great band is, 'How can what I'm playing or singing accent what the other musicians on stage are doing?' In other words, how can I serve you? What can I do to lift you up? When everyone has this attitude of service, it makes the whole band better.
It is easy to see how self-centeredness in the form of ego or pride can kill unity. When I think I know better than someone else, I will be unwilling to listen and learn from someone else; and if there's one thing I've been reminded of in writing this it's that I can learn something from EVERYONE I come in contact with every single day.
There's another, silent side of self-centeredness... In a worship band setting it rears it's ugly head in the form of someone not knowing their part. It is impossible to listen and play to the rest of the band if you don't know your own part. Every piece of the band plays a vital role in the song as a whole, and when any band member is struggling just to play or sing the right notes, there's no room in their focus to listen to the rest of the band.
Can you see how this translates into fostering unity in our families and churches? It runs so much deeper than I can discuss right now, but put simply, every person plays a unique and specific role in the “sound” we make as the body of Christ; and while it's important that each of us knows our part, it's just as important that we submit our individual part toward the symphony that Jesus is conducting through us as a whole!
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