Tigers and Lions

Sometimes we should learn from animals. I was recently reading a history book and the author said this:

A zoologist once informed me that a tiger will defeat a lion in battle, but five lions will defeat five tigers because the lions fight as a team and the tigers do not. The five lions take on one tiger at a time.[1]

Obviously for the lions their willingness to work together pays off. But in spiritual warfare and in evangelism, we need to learn from the lions. We know this is true in athletics, warfare and in business, yet Christian ministry is often approached as many individual solo operations.

We know we need people to work with but senior church leaders and ministry directors often do not work together. They want people to work together within their own organization but don’t see the need for them personally to partner with others. This is sad.

I was always told that in order for us to fulfill the great commission we just need to each do our part. That may motivate people to do something but there is an exponential increase in effectiveness when we work together. The Bible says this in Ecclesiastes:

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 [2]

I honestly don’t think we will fulfill the great commission until we learn to collaborate instead of compete with each other. Christian leaders are much more competitive than they will admit. But we are all fellow laborers in God’s harvest. We have one King and one Kingdom. We are not building our own kingdoms but we are serving the King as He builds His Kingdom. We need each other and He wants us to work together!

1 Hunter III, George G. (2011-11-01). The Celtic Way of Evangelism, Tenth Anniversary Edition: How Christianity Can Reach the West . . .Again (p. 6). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.

i See 1 Kgs. 1:1–4
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ecc. 4:9–12.