Joint Accomplishment says, “I need you.”
Joint Accomplishment says, “I need you. “You can experience the intimacy of Joint Accomplishment with your spouse/child when you both enjoy specific activities/common interests/shared tasks… together.
When I think of Joint Accomplishment, I think of friendship. Friendship with your spouse/children/others. When you can do an activity side by side and enjoy your time together, friendship grows even stronger between you. Stronger intimacy grows when you share the same experience or accomplish a task … together.
Setting goals with your spouse/children/others is another way to experience Joint Accomplishment. You “need” each other to accomplish the goal.
Planning a family vacation: You may benefit from getting more input on where to go, how to get there, how to pay for it. You may set a goal on ways to cut the family budget.
Community: Let’s say there is a big event in the community, and your church plans to be a part of it. Can you accomplish this task on your own? No, you need other members to help in order for it to be a success. You set meetings, you plan, you give out tasks, etc… you need one another to reach the goal, a successful event.
Spouse: Can you say “Anniversary”? Planning for this can put the fear into some of our hearts! Haha… This is a great area for Joint Accomplishment. Husband’s, enlist the help of your wife’s friend!! She can give you great ideas for gifts or planning a special date. Wives ask your husband’s buddies for just the right brand of golf clubs or fishing rod. Maybe you need to enlist the help of a friend to pull off a great surprise for your spouse! Working together and needing others is one way to accomplish a goal.
Joint Accomplishment can be hindered by an attitude of self-sufficiency.
I admit I can fall into this attitude of self-sufficiency quite easily. If I am planning an event sometimes I feel it is harder to ask for help because then I need to explain what I need done so I tend to just do it myself. This often leaves me feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. If I would take the time and ask for help and bring others in , the event would be less overwhelming and tiresome. I may actually get some time to enjoy the party!
I remember when my kids were little. I knew I needed to train them in household chores. This is a situation that is certainly easier to do alone especially if I was in a hurry, but what would that have accomplished. I wanted to train my kids that “we need each other.” Cleaning the home together was a family “Joint Accomplishment.” I needed to take the time and train them. Once they knew their task well, we could get that house cleaned in no time! If my husband and I had done household chores and lawn work ourselves, our sons would not have grown to be the independent men they are today who know how to handle responsibilities on their own or with the help of others, as needed..
Let’s Do The Book!
There are many wonderful stories in the Bible that show Joint Accomplishment between God and His people. Did God need to use the His people to accomplish those goals, by no means! He does, though, and He continues to do so today.
This always blows my mind whenever I think of God using and working with US! He can speak anything into existence yet, many times, He chooses to use our hands and feet to accomplish His work. I know me! I am amazed that God uses little Ol’ me! He often does not use the Greatest but often the Least of these. Another mind blowing fact!
Why do you think God chooses to do that? It is because He LOVES being in relationship with us! He created us in His image so therefore we are to be in relationship with one another. Being in a relationship means caring, needing, helping, loving, spending time with one another. He chooses to do that with us, and we should look at His examples of HOW he does it.
I will list some scripture here, but please take the time to discover how God does relationships and MIRROR HIM!!! Can you think of situations in scripture where Jesus worked with and through other people? Can you think of times when God used individuals, families, or the nation to accomplish important tasks?
Ephesians 4: 2 Ephesians 4: 32 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Genesis 2:18 1 Corinthians 12:14-27
Date night! Will you share with your spouse the scriptures you found on your own and discuss what God said to you about them? Maybe bring along some worship music and a picnic lunch/dinner!