Gen.11v1-6: Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly”. They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth”. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the son’s men had built. And the Lord said, “indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

Learning to work with others is crucial to fulfilling your destiny, for there is a limit to what you can do alone. This is why you need to tap into the power of teamwork and so far in this series of teachings, I have been sharing some key principles on achieving teamwork. If the people in (Genesis 11 verses 1-6) could do it, then you too can, provided you are willing to do what they did. So how can you make Teamwork a living reality in your life?

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WORK TOGETHER?

3. Respect. This is a very important principle that you need to hold in high esteem if you want to be successful in walking with others. Without respect, working together as a team will be difficult. Respect is basically Trust in Action. And the mentality you should have in any team you belong to should be, I respect you, You respect me and we respect one another. This is how we ought to relate to one another. Respect should start first with:

– Self Respect. You respect Yourself.

– Respect for Others. You ought to respect others.

– Mutual Respect. We ought to respect one another (Eph.5v21). So how can you build Respect in a Team?

– By valuing each other. You ought to value every team member. Nobody is useless or worthless. Every member of your team is important. So make everyone feel important (Pro.31v10).

– Willingness to serve others. One way of building respect is by serving others. Always remember that you are in the team to serve, so stop waiting to be served but instead be ready to serve. Service is the pathway to honour and promotion. So to what extent do you serve your fellow team members? (Matt.20v26-28).

– By showing and sowing Respect unto others. You will always reap what you sow. If you show respect, you will reap respect. This is also true and vice versa also. Do you honour others? If you honour others, you too will be honoured and if you disrespect others, others will disrespect you. This is how it works. So make sure you are deliberate about what you are sowing. If you don’t want to reap it, then don’t sow it. It’s time for you to build a culture of Respect within your Team (Gal.6v7).

– Do your work with dignity and Excellence. This is very true of the Virtuous Woman in (Proverbs 31 verse 10-31); she stood out as an exceptional woman, no wonder she commanded such Respect. I have discovered that Respect is the Foundation of every High Performing Team. So it’s time to do your work in a way that will command respect.

• Never Use and Dump People. Always Treat People well and Nice. My dear brothers and sisters, people, are important. People are people. They are not things. So as a matter of policy, Treat Everyone right and well regardless of how they even treat you. This is how to build Respect (Matt.7v12).

I love what Albert Einstein said once “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the Garbage Man or the President of the University”. This is what Respect is all about. I pray that you too will imbibe the culture of Respect from today in all your dealings with others. This will surely enhance your relationship with others! May this be your testimony and Experience in Jesus name, amen.

Other Scriptural References: (1Pet.3v9: 2v17: 5v5; Rom.13v7; Jn.13v13-15; 2ki.3v11; Pro.31v23, 27-29: 12v4).

Prayer for Today: Lord, I choose to honour and respect my fellow team members. Please help me to stay faithful to this cause in Jesus name, amen.

CONFESSION: From today, I have decided to honour and respect my team members. Nobody is without relevance and value. Therefore, I chose to relate in honour with everyone regardless of who they are or what they can offer me. This is my new code of conduct and behaviour. This is my creed for living. As I strive to respect my team members, my ability to relate better with others is getting stronger. Thank you for visiting my relationship life in Jesus name, amen.