Week 4 Day 5

​Ecc. 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
 
We were never meant to be alone!  In Genesis 2 God said, “it is not good for man to be along.”  Further God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth.”  Community is part of creation and when we ignore this reality it harms us.  One of the punishments for prisoners if they do something bad in jail one of the most severe punishments is isolation.  We were not created to be alone!
 
I think we instinctively know we need people around us.  Even introverts seek out relationships.  God’s word is full of texts that implicitly or explicitly points out the need for community.  It can be messy to be sure, but when it is done well, it is beautiful.  Solomon in all of his wisdom recognized this in this passage in Ecc. 4.  We all need help in some way at some point and we all need a helper to help us.  That’s community.  On the flip side, every one of us, if we are paying attention, will have opportunities to be on the helping side.  We should seek those opportunities out! 
 
Spend some time considering how someone has helped you, maybe with your faith.  Likewise, spend some time thinking and praying about how you might help someone else.  Put it into action!!!