Do You Have a Network?

Do you have a network? Networks are one of the “buzzwords” which we hear all of the time. It matters who you know. It matters what their connections are, who they know. Will they be able to connect you with the right people?

I recently came across an article about networking that caught my attention and caused me to do some thinking. It was titled, “Network Your Way to Success” and started off with this statement: “Any expert will tell you that networking is one of the best ways to advance your career and it’s also a good support for everyday job concerns.” The article went on to share some rules to network by, because how you network is as important as whether you network.

1. Get and early start: In other words start today. Look for opportunities.
   
2. Look before you leap: Be careful of whom you ally yourself.
   
3. Cast a wide net: Look for support wherever you can find it. Look for people who are interested in your success. In the time of crisis the more you network, the more your catch will be.
   

Several weeks ago our family went through a crisis. We had gone to sleep one night thinking life was grand, everything was fine. We were awakened early the next morning to life shattering new. There followed nine days that has changed our lives forever. It was during this time I had it reinforced in my mind the power of “networking.”

As we rushed around getting ready to leave the house, I told the family, “Give me a moment, I have to send out prayer requests!” I logged in on the computer and went to a “social network” I belong to. With a few brief words I had contacted a thousand people who were already committed to prayer! I sent another to everybody in my email address book that I knew I could count on to pray.

As we drove down the freeway we were all praying and making phone calls. We called our daughter who has an incredible prayer network. She immediately began to call and send out emails. We called my brother and he and his wife began calling and emailing. Several hundred more people began to pray. Another call went to a niece who is a personal friend of a popular Gospel singing artist. She went to his web page and within minutes several thousand people had been contacted and began to pray. Phone calls, emails and personal contacts all resulted in several thousands praying within a few hours.

The impact of the power of networking stated to sink in that night when we returned home. I knew we would have to leave early the next morning, so, although it was 2:00 AM I sat down to send out another urgent prayer request. I was so surprised to find my mailbox full of replies and forwards. These were all replies from people assuring us they were praying. The forwards came from my daughter and were assurances of prayer. I took these, copied and pasted them to a document, then printed them off. When I went back to the hospital the next morning I took them with me and shared them with the others. I repeated this everyday with a total of over sixty pages of people saying they were praying.

We counted over twenty states including Hawaii, also Mexico and Brazil from which we received responses. In addition there were phone calls, text messages and personal visits. People brought cards, financial blessings, baskets of treats and someone sent a box of Omaha steaks. There were meals prepared, thoughtful notes, pictures and kind words that showed that others were sharing your pain and cared. It all emphasized the power of networking. Unless you have been on the receiving end of something of this magnitude mere words can never explain the encouragement at a time like this.

The Bible talks about the power of networking. “And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.” (Lev 26:7-8) The power of unity and networking again is illustrated by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Let me share something that impressed this so strong on my mind. I recently saw a video which was taken in the African wild. Two water buffalo were walking along a path, unaware that a pride of lions lay in wait for them just ahead. Suddenly the buffalo smelled the lions and turned and ran. The lions focused themselves on the weakest, a young calf. They leaped on him knocking him into the water. While they are attacking him a crocodile came up in the water and grabbed the leg of the calf, trying to pull him away from the lions. Several of the lions grabbed the calf and together were able to pull him out of the water and away from the lone crocodile.
Suddenly, those who were observing began to exclaim, “Look, look!” About that time into the picture came the water buffalo which had run away and with him must have been one hundred or so more buffalo. To make a long story short, the buffalo attacked the lions, tossing one into the air with their horns and ran them off. The calf ended up running off with the herd. The power of networking! The lions worked together against the crocodile, and the buffalo worked together against the lions.

I remember several years ago in a church I pastored we had a group of people that were called “The MVPs.” This stood for Most Valuable Prayers. This was a network of people that gathered to pray together for each service. They anointed and prayed over each seat. They prayed over each instrument, praying for the musicians. They prayed for each person who had an active part in the service. When the speaker began to preach, two of the MVPs would go into another room and intercede for him as he brought forth the Word of God. This is networking! Some of the most powerful services I have ever experienced in my life were the result of this network.

There were people that I knew, as a Pastor, I could call on 24/7 and all I had to do was say, “I need you to pray!” These were people who could and would touch heaven. It is networking! Networking is having contacts that can help you accomplish a desired result.

We worry so often about having the right contacts in the corporate world. We worry about having the right contacts in whatever organization we might be a part of, or even our local church. I am not saying there is anything wrong with this, in fact it is obvious in its importance. However, have we thought about the power of networking in our spiritual battles and the trials we face?

We don’t have to face the battle alone! We don’t have to walk through the valley alone. We have the promise of God that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We also can benefit from having a network of brothers and sisters in Christ that we can depend upon to pray with us about any situation. We can rely on their support and encouragement; it is the strength of networking.
I noticed from Paul’s writings he was a beneficiary of networking. Many of his letters end with Paul touching base, keeping the contact, with those who were part of his network. He would send his greetings. He would send encouragement to them. He let them know that he was in need of them and also in their debt. He also made sure they knew they were in his thoughts and his prayers.

Just a thought!

God Bless!