THE PARTNERSHIP

In any partnerships, the equality principle should never be downplayed. In fact for it to be called a joint venture in the human perspective, the involved parties must have the same contribution in terms of ideas, investment, control and the eventual returns must be at the same time equally enjoyed depending on the part each plays. There should also be room for questions whenever doubts arise. Clarity of issues surrounding the venture helps build trust. Partnerships in human sense are more of synonyms to at par.

“What exactly do you want us to do, where are we headed in this, how well are you informed, how sure am I that you can be trusted. What is there for me to gain in this? Do you have the map to the destination that I am even not aware of?”

These and other question cloud our minds making it hard for one to trust anyone interested in having a partnership with us. Imagine someone approaching you with a business idea. Will you just embrace the proposal whole heartedly without questioning the business’ viability, the person’s intentions and the chances of it being a profitable business venture?

Trust is a key word for any possible partnerships to be effective. In the spiritual realm, trust implies we give up in surrender to people we consider a solution to our problems. A classic example is in the practice of magic. It’s amazing how we meticulously follow the instructions.

In a discussion the other day, I heard of a woman’s confessions of how she would follow a witch doctor’s instructions so as to elude fighting her co wife over the husband’s attention and control of available resources. In the course of her visit, she would ask “…what do I need to solve a domestic crisis?” “All you need is this stick.” The witch doctor would respond. “But how sure are you that a mere stick will help me tame my husband?” she would ask. “ Trust my words” was all the man would answer in his usual few words. Still not getting him, she would proceed to ask, “Why should I trust you?” Understanding the woman’s concern the African doctor would continue “It has worked with many others who have visited me for consultation.” The statistics bit would make things slightly optimistic. But still not getting the whole idea on where exactly the conversation was heading, she would persist “How do I use a stick to solve my quarrels with a co wife?”

Eventually after asking and getting answers to the trillion questions bothering her mind, she learnt that as a remedy to their domestic quarrels, she had to put the stick in her mouth. Whenever the co wife started an argument, she had no way of retaliating because of the stick in her mouth. She could not go against the witchdoctors’ instructions. In the long run, she gained her husband’s favor as the peace-loving woman.

There was a lot of wisdom behind the stick in the mouth prescription. This is what led to a success that was the basis of her trust in him. Do you expect that to have been her last visit to the witchdoctor? With the success she got, she developed trust in the witch doctor’s prescriptions because it had answers to all her concerns. One of the factors behind the growing trust was the responses she got whenever she had doubts on the witch doctor’s recommendation.

The above scene is typical of human beings. Questions are necessary once in a while for us to consider any possibility of working together. But what happens when God comes in as the possible partner. What are His partnership principles?

Amos 3:3 states that two cannot walk together unless they agree. God is not a mediocre partner neither is He after the equality kind of partnership because after all He is God. Nevertheless, He is a just God. He has set the highest standards as far as Faith is concerned. Hebrews 11 says that it is impossible to please God without faith.

But what does God expect from us if we are to walk with Him? In the Abraham’s call story, God tells Abraham to leave His homeland and go where He was to show Him. God does not give details of how the place looks like or what Abraham should expect. Abraham from His response earns the title “father of faith” While in the New Testament, Jesus calls the brothers Simon and Andrew, John and James, Matthew and they leave what they were doing and follow him without questioning.

It’s amazing how these people trusted Jesus and joined Him in His mission without any slight objection. Mark puts it well in verses 18 and 20 of chapter 1 “….straight away they forsook their nets and followed him” Had they been aware of the power of the Son of Man? If so, many Israelites would have accepted His message after witnessing His miracles but many didn’t. This confirms an extra ordinary faith the disciples had in their new master.

How many times have we had doubts when He calls on us to do something we thought needed assurance of how it was going to be done, where, with whom, how, and why? These endless questions storm our minds many times when hear His call for partnership.

God wants us to respond in faith without questioning because history proves past God-man partnerships where faith was present have always ended well. Walking with God is a walk of faith.