The Houston Texans have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2023 NFL regular season.
Projected by many experts to be one the worst teams in the league before the start of the season, Houston is now 3-3 after winning three of its past four contests.
Much of the Texans’ relative success is undoubtedly attributed to the play of their rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud.
Taken No. 2 overall in the most recent draft, the Ohio State product has quickly proven he's more than ready to handle life as an NFL signal-caller.
Through six games, Stroud currently ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,660 passing yards. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that he's managed to throw just one interception while getting adjusted to the speed of professional defenses.
But the one attribute of Stroud that has likely contributed most to his team’s early success is his leadership.
In a recent article on ESPN.com, writer D.J. Bien-Aime detailed how Stroud went out of his way in an attempt to develop chemistry and camaraderie with his new teammates. Ultimately, Stroud understood that success wouldn't come unless all the players came together and bonded in meaningful ways.
Stroud recently explained, "I enjoy fellowship. If you can get a little getaway and be with your brothers, that's all you need. We were staying together, eating together, like doing every little thing. So we see what guys care for. I wanted to build team bonding away from Houston, Texas, and bond with my guys.”
In the NFL, there's no question the teams that enjoy the most “fellowship” away from the football field often end up being the teams that have the best results on the gridiron.
In like manner, if we desire to be at our best and experience "success" as we follow Jesus, it's going to require regular fellowship with our “teammates.”
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
In His wisdom, God has ordained that one of the ways we'll grow in our walk with Him is through personal connections with other believers. As we build strong bonds of love and trust, we're able to pour into each other's lives in such a way as to help stimulate spiritual growth.
Scripture is quite emphatic in the way it talks about the necessity and benefits of regular fellowship with other believers and the dangers that come from neglecting to gather together with God’s people.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV) tells us, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Because we all have weaknesses, we need other people to stand alongside us to provide us with strength and encouragement as we live our lives as sojourners on Earth. We're also in need of faithful friends who will kindly and gently point out to us when we're not living in ways consistent with what God has revealed in His word.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV) gives us this command: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
A quarterback can't be out on the field all by himself and likewise, as followers of Jesus, we aren't meant to live this life on our own. Rather, we are designed to be people gathering around one another for the purpose of mutual edification. Ultimately, it's up to us to take advantage of the blessing of doing life in a community.
The Lord has been incredibly kind in giving us the gift of a body of believers who can utilize their gifts and abilities to help better conform us to the image of Christ.
So today, let’s intentionally seek out the joy of fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, trusting that God will use those efforts to bring much fruit and blessing in our lives.
I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessing of being part of the body of Christ. Please help me be more intentional about seeking godly fellowship to build me up in the faith, and be a blessing to those around me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. In what ways have you benefited from Christian fellowship in the past? 2. What potential dangers could result from a lack of fellowship with other believers?
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