Human beings are creatures that live in groups, so co-operation is an unavoidable human affair. Without co-operation, it is impossible for humans to complete their tasks in a mutually beneficial way, nor can they survive on earth. Humans must help each other and co-operate to achieve a win-win situation so that society can prosper and progress. In the old days of hunting and gathering, human beings had to rely on group co-operation in order to get more foods and avoid the danger of enemies. In modern times, it is even more important for people to work together as a group, otherwise it is impossible for them to survive.
Although co-operation can bring maximum benefits, however, due to the selfish nature of human beings, when co-operating, some people may use their personal interests to the detriment of other people’s interests or the interests of the group. Therefore, when co-operating, there must be a mechanism to punish those participants who do not uphold the interests of the group under co-operation. In this way, those participants who do not uphold the interests of the group will know the importance of cooperation and correct their selfish behaviour to uphold the interests of the group. In such a case, cooperation can continue and maximization of benefits can be achieved. Otherwise, if everyone looks at things from a selfish point of view, then co-operation will be impossible.
The prerequisite for co-operation is sincerity. Without sincerity, if one party is deceived, then the ensuing co-operation cannot continue. Cooperation between the members in the church is often a challenge. If one of them is selfish, he/she will neglect the interests of the group, and instead of providing resources for the church, he/she will consume the resources of the church, which is not conducive to the development of the church.
The Christian life is about going beyond the self and being a blessing to others. We cannot just live in our ego, but we have to constantly transcend our ego and move towards egolessness. As our egolessness grows stronger within us, we are able to let go of our selfishness and work better with others to create greater effectiveness and church growth.
Discipleship is about helping you to become awakened to the meaning of life. The meaning of our lives is not just self-fulfilment, or family fulfillment, or career fulfillment, but must be expanded to include the Kingdom of God in our lives.