Pass the bolt please!

Last night, at our monthly women's meeting at church, I sat back with pride and joy as I watched our beautiful ladies work together on a missions project. It did so much more for me than just completing a task, it really made me feel the unity among my sisters.

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul passed on advice about successful living:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Paul addressed a destructive attitude—selfishness. Focusing on ourselves and our own interests at the expense of others will ultimately leave us isolated and ineffective. I loved the feeling of unity I felt last night. There was not one selfish body in the room.

Jesus wants His disciples to model unselfishness. During the 1964 Olympics, in the two-man bobsled competition, a British team driven by Tony Nash had just completed its first run and was in second place. Then they made a most disheartening discovery. They had broken a bolt on the rear axle of their sled, which would put them out of the competition.

The Italian bobsled driver, Eugenio Monti, who was in first place, heard of their unfortune. He removed the bolt from the rear axle of his own sled and sent it to them. The British team placed it on their sled and then raced down the mountain, winning the gold medal. Monti’s Italian team took the bronze medal for finishing in third place.

When asked about his act of sportsmanship, Eugenio Monti modestly replied, “Tony Nash did not win because I gave him a bolt. Tony Nash won because he was the best driver.”

God honors unselfishness. It is the only attitude that will make us winners in the end. Any coach for any sports team will tell you that winning takes a team effort. The same is true for church and, what’s more, it is true in everyday life.

If needed, may we all pass the bolt.