I was recently listening to a lesson being given to youth about being careful who you ASSOCIATE with… It was a very solid lesson and had a lot of great advice. Yet, as I thought about it, when I would hear that message being taught when I was young, all I remember is the warning about hanging out with bad kids… and then it moved into, when you date and eventually marry, make sure it is a believer… etc. Please don’t hear me wrong here, I am thankful for that advice being given… BUT I think it falls a bit short. It is possible someone is not “bad” but also is not what you need…
I have been a part of teams where, on the surface, everyone seems to be “organized for a joint purpose”; we were playing the same sport with the desire to win… we were on the same team… we wore the same jerseys… showed up for the same practices and games… even had the same cheers. No one on the team was a “bad guy” trying to make us run the other teams plays or make us lose. But I remember times when maybe everyone was not “all in” … had not “bought in” to the overall purpose of being a team. There were players that were simply “bought in” to the scoreboard…
I recently read where a recruiting coach made this observation: “Buying in to the program means that you love what you are a part of and your joy is infectious to everyone in the program.” (Andy Drake, NCSASPORTS.org) He talked of players needing to “buy into Core Covenants” of the program in order to be successful…
May I suggest here that we need to start evaluating our “ASSOCIATIONS” we are a part of… obviously if they are bringing us down we need to get out… but let’s raise the standard from “not bringing us down’ to actually “building us up… pursuing the same purpose.” Which also means you need to know your purpose… your, in the words of Coach Drake, “Core Covenants”! To me they are very simple: the Great Commission (evangelism and discipleship) and the Great Commandment (loving God and loving others)… in other words let’s (personally and corporately in our churches) build a GC2A… Great Commission/Commandment Association!
The early church was successful because they “bought in”! I love this verses:
Acts 2:46-47 So continuing daily with ONE ACCORD in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
ONE ACCORD = ASSOCIATION
The Greek word for ONE ACCORD means with one mind… with
one accord… with one passion. It is a compound word with the idea of “rush
along” and “in unison.” Let’s find folks that are moving with passion and
purpose and hang out with them!
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