When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. Exodus 17:12

One of our boys plays football for a local high school, and there’s much emphasis on being #AllN and the team being a family. The “family” spent a lot of the summer together, they practice after school each day, and they of course play games against other local schools each Friday night. I don’t completely understand the ins and outs of the game, but I do know the basics. The most basic truth of a football team is this: each player has a role to play, and when every player is doing his job, the team (family!) succeeds. 

It’s unlikely that one player could win a game on his own. He could certainly try, but even if he were successful, he’d likely come out the other side with some injuries to body and pride. Every player working together paves the way for a victory; the family gets farther together than any one of them would get on their own.

In Exodus 17, Joshua is leading the army of Israel to fight the Amalekites, and as long as Moses held the staff of God in the air Israel had the military advantage (v11). When Moses lowered his arms, Israel began to lose. Seeing this, Aaron and Hur brought Moses a stone to sit on, and they each held up one of his arms until the battle was won. Everyone in this story had a role to play, and when each was doing their job, an entire nation was victorious.

The same can be true in our families, church family included! Each one of us has a role to play: some are more visible than others, but all are important to the success of the group. I’ve been a part of Chatham Church for several years, and this is something I’ve seen play out time and time again: y’all are really good at knowing your roles and working together! Our church family has been successful because of this, and that’s had positive effects on our community. 

Just as one football player isn’t likely to win a game by himself and Moses couldn’t single handedly secure the win for Israel’s army, we can only get so far on our own within the church family. Think about all the roles played within the church. Take a minute to pray for the individuals you know who fill those roles, and then for some you don’t!