How strong are you? Many of us have learned to rely on our own intellect, abilities, and craftiness to get through this difficult life. However, life often gets the upper hand on us no matter how hard we try.
Proverbs 16:18 declares, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” We often need to be reminded that our success in this life is dependent on our ability to include others in our journey who can strengthen us when we are weak. This is not always easy because we like to think we can do it all on our own … we cannot!
Another great wisdom teaching from Scripture is Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Following all the isolation and social distancing of the last couple of years, we are seeing many devastating results of people suffering alone instead of reaching out to others. In some cases we have simply gotten used to doing life alone or with limited interactions. It has always been true that people are social creatures, and we are better together than we are alone.
If we just follow the basic examples God gave us throughout the Scriptures, we will see that we were designed to work together and that relying on ourselves alone is often when the trouble comes in. Abraham had his nephew Lot as they traveled together, Moses had his brother Aaron, Elijah had his servant Elisha, Jesus always sent the disciples out in pairs, Barnabas had Paul, and the list goes on.
We can also see the failures of being alone: Peter alone at Jesus’ trial denies him three times, David when alone in the palace sinned with Bathsheba, Eve alone in the garden fell to temptation. These are some overly simplified examples that serve to remind us that we need others in our lives to help us achieve success, and thinking we can do it on our own is prideful.
I am so thankful Jesus teaches that when we trust in Him as our Lord we will never be alone, for he will never leave or forsake us. The way he strengthens us in this life is by giving us brothers and sisters (the church) to help us carry our burdens and for us to help others in their journey through life.
I want to encourage you to lean on God and include others in your life to find true strength.
