Exponentially Greater Productivity

If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

—1 Corinthians 12:17-21 NLT

A few months ago, a woman made a statement to me. She said that the world’s system has conditioned us to believe we should each individually handle everything on our own and by ourselves. Doesn’t the concept of co-dependence seem to always go hand in hand with feelings of guilt about not being independent enough? Our generation seems to be molded by a slew of individuals who tend to feel boastful when others say they “cannot live without them” or when they themselves are able to say they “do not need anybody.” But is that the way God intended for us to live?

While it may not be wise to regard others as sources of our happiness/feelings of adequacy, it still seems to make perfect practical sense to work with others who can function in different roles towards a general goal. The more people who are working together, the more their output is multiplied (not added). For example, if five (5) people are able to chase one hundred (100) people away, then mathematically speaking one hundred (100) people should be able to chase five thousand (5,000) people away. However, that is not what the book of Leviticus says. Leviticus 26:8 states that “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand.” That is double the amount of expected productivity when more people are added to an equation.

I remember there was a time when there were even popular phrases like “it takes a village to raise a child.” These days, you often have to even be careful about looking out for a child that is not your own because that can easily be perceived as criticism of another person's parenting. That is unfortunate because one of the first things God says concerning man (in Genesis 2:18) is that “It is not good for the man to be alone.” He then says, “I will make a helper who is just right for him.” God’s design seems to always make good use of systems with different parts that contribute to a bigger picture. That is why I believe we should never be afraid to work together with (or even become reliant upon) a team of individuals for the sake of exponentially greater productivity. Remember, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states that “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed... Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Lots of Love, XO

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