Independence can be wonderful. Branching out on your own. Blazing your trail. Setting your own pace, calling all the shots, and being totally self-sufficient. It’s exhilarating to strike out on your own! Talk about an adventure. However, as great as being a lone wolf can be, sometimes it’s wiser and more beneficial to be part of a pack. Alone isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.
A number of years ago, author Milton Olson wrote an article about lessons that we can learn about working as part of a team, by watching geese. He made a number of observations on how, when flying as a ‘V’ formation, geese act in a way that makes the task easier for the whole unit. These are the lessons that Olson learnt:
- As a goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the following birds. The “V” formation that geese use means that a flock can fly 71% further as a group than if each bird flew alone. A common sense of direction and community can mean that a group of like-minded people can go further and achieve more by using the enthusiasm and forward momentum of the group to spur them on.
- If a goose gets out of formation, it quickly falls victim to the drag and resistance of flying solo. As soon as it gets back in position, the goose is able to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. It’s common sense really but staying in step with those going the same direction that we are, is obviously going to be have benefits. We just need to be willing to work as a unit, to accept help from those around us and in turn offer assistance to others.
- When the goose at the front of the ‘V’ gets tired, it falls back into the formation and another goose with more energy takes its place. It’s a good idea to share out the hard tasks and take turns. When we come together, a team or community of people can draw on each other’s skills, talents, or strength, and do more than a single individual.
- Geese that fly together “honk” to encourage each other and remind those in front to keep going. Good encouragement is invaluable. Collections of people who encourage and cheer each other on have a greater rate of productivity than those who keep silent. Honking and giving encouragement not only reminds us that we’re doing a good job but it tells us others care and that we aren’t alone.
- If one goose gets sick or hurt, two other geese will leave the formation and fall back to help and protect the wounded goose. They stay with it until it dies or can fly again. Then the three join another formation or catch up with the original flock. If you strike out on your own when things get really bad there is no one to look out for you. Together there is always someone who has your back and can help you until you’re back to full capacity again.
It’s very clear that there are benefits from walking a journey with others beside you, especially if you’re trying to achieve a goal or reach a destination. In all aspects of life, be it family, work, social, or spiritual, joining with others who are moving in the same direction as you are can not only make the journey more fun but also help you got further than you would be able to on your own.
Faith can be a very personal matter. You can’t rely on someone else to believe in God for you – that’s your job. It can sometimes feel like you need to be free to define your faith alone and independent of others, but faith is a journey and it’s one that should be walked with others who will encourage, strengthen, and instruct. The Bible puts it this way,
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
God’s plan for those who believe in Him wasn’t that we would live out our faith in isolation, but rather that we would come together to uplift those who were struggling, care for those in need, and cheer each other on towards a deeper understanding of who God is and who we are in him. If your faith and relationship with God is kept as a solo journey you will only ever grow in understanding and maturity to the level of your own ability. When you walk with other believers, when hard times or questions arise, there are people who can cheer you on, give advice or answers, and challenge you to go further and more passionately forward in your relationship with God.