There is an unseen factor that growing businesses and ministries share. The fact is most people ignore it. People will look at any business or a ministry in my world and say, “Why is it growing?” They attribute growth to this or that, but one of the factors that is most commonly overlooked is unity…particularly, a unified staff and leadership team.
I have found that success is never a one-man show. It always involves different skills, competency, motivation and unity among the team. This really isn’t much a stretch is it? You and I intuitively know that unity is required everywhere. It’s needed in families. Growing and engaged families have a sense of oneness that each member senses. In every successful family, there is a solidarity that works for everyone. In democratic governments, goals and achievements only happen when a majority of representatives are on “the same page.” Every sports enthusiast knows that just putting athletes in the same jersey doesn’t automatically make them a team.
So, why is unity so vital to the success and future of any startup, church plant or small business? Because having a shared purpose builds community. It reinforces trust and becomes the “glue” that binds people together. It flies in the face of self-interest. The Apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 2:2, “…then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
My son is a missionary in Papua New Guinea. He has told me about one of the highest values of the people there. It’s the referred to as being “one bell.” It means to have unity in your relationship with others. To be in opposition with others is referred to as being “two bell.” People will do just about anything to avoid disunity…even lie, cheat or steal. I don’t condone that, but a shared unity of purpose could be what your business, church, or family desperately needs. Here’s my prayer for you: “Dear God, please move us from “two bell” to “one bell” reflecting your eternal nature. May we understand at a significant level the unity and oneness described in Deuteronomy 6:4“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”