There are three key convictions to a relationship that values complementary strengths:
- We complement each other's strengths.
- We need each other to get the job done.
- He or she does some things much better than I do, and I do some things much better than he or she does.
In their book, The Power of 2, Wagner and Muller discovered an ancient Biblical truth - healthy relationships celebrate complementary strengths. The Apostle Paul wrote about this very concept in Ephesians 4:11-16 and Romans 12:3-8. Paul taught that each Christian is endowed with gifts from the Holy Spirit in order to build other believers up. Here's the deal, as much as we'd like to be independent, we are very interdependent.
Wagner and Muller put it this way, "...most people see themselves as more well-rounded than they really are, above average where they are weak, and close to average where they are incredible. But they're wrong. Instead of complete circles, people are puzzle pieces."
A strong small group is not made up of "circles" but of "puzzle pieces." Each person interlocks with the others. One person might be a good teacher, another person has a servant gift, another keeps track of details and organizes the group, while another hosts with their gift of hospitality. No one person has it all together. We are better together than we are on our own. Great communities are made up of people who complement each other. It's an ancient truth in a modern context!
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