INNOVATION: The DevotionalSample

“COLLABORATION IS KEY” The great entrepreneur, Henry Ford, once said that “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is a process, and working together is success.” Mr Ford utilised collaboration to design and manufacture the first cars that people could afford, and in turn innovated a whole industry, which today is worth £71.6 billion in the UK alone. One of the major keys to innovating well is understanding that collaboration is your best friend. The Dictionary defines ‘collaboration’ as “the action of working with someone to produce something; two things that were separate are now together.” We see the fruits of collaboration in the world around us - the most influential sports teams collaborate in the form of great team work, and the most successful scientists collaborate in order to share information. The London riots caused considerable destruction because it was a collaboration between people! Whether it is used for good or bad, collaboration is powerful because it allows you to do things you couldn’t do on your own. Innovation can only come through collaboration. The major sports brand, Adidas, was founded in 1949 by a German called Adi Dassler, and they recently partnered with Kanye West in the form of Yeezy. The result was an innovative product line that made incredible progress in the fashion industry that wouldn’t have been possible had they not collaborated. But ultimately, God himself demonstrated the power of collaboration when he gave us some key life instructions in Matthew 28:18: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit.” What I take from this is that the great commission requires great collaboration. Our challenge is to collaborate with Christ. Of course, you can collaborate with Kanye and build a brand, or you can collaborate with Jesus and build the church. God is a collaborating God and he made us in his image, so when we collaborate we reflect the characteristics of God. As you think about the possibilities to collaborate in your sphere, be mindful of the importance of the right motivation. The wrong motivation is like the tide going out, dragging people down. But the right motivation is like the tide coming in, lifting people up. Action Point – Who has God placed in your world with whom you can innovate? Today look for opportunities to collaborate with those around you.