ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?  And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

THEME OF THE DAY: WE NEED EACH OTHER.  There is a mindset, even practice, among many professing Christians today that says by word and action, “Church is nice but not really that necessary in my spiritual life.”  Or we may rephrase it like this, “It is Jesus and me. I don’t need to be immersed in spiritual things with other believers.”  Let’s add still yet another thought in Christians who attempt to live their spiritual lives apart from sacrificial involvement in the body of Christ for spiritual growth and investment – “I can read my Bible and pray on my own. My life is too full.  Between work, family, and responsibilities, there is no time for such a commitment to church and other Christians.”

All of those statements, and others that justify lack of investment in other Christians and faithfulness to the local church is simply disobedience to God’s expectations and commands.  It is a clear sign of spiritual barrenness to lack desire and practice of being together with other Christians for mutual encouragement and instructions. Remember, we cannot practice the over fifty one another commands being absent from each other.

Now we come to the application from today’s scripture.  There is much for our consideration in our relationships with other Christians, but we want to focus on one area and that in the form of a warning. The author of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, writes, “Woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”  Woe is a serious word and points to misery, defeat, and damage. And the context is relationships.  Go alone, try to do life, especially the spiritual life, alone, and nothing good will ever result.

Not only do we need each other when we fall, but also our togetherness helps prevent a lukewarm or cold heart – “Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?”   To add another serious note to “going alone Christianity” and the danger of a lukewarm and cold heart, let these chilling words of the Lord Jesus add greater emphasis to Solomon’s warning – “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:14-17).

There is another aspect of this too!  Not only are we commanded to be involved in the lives of other Christians, but we need each other.  God created us to be dependent on Him as well as other believers.

PRAYER: Father, I praise You for granting me other believers with whom to fight the good fight and run the race.

REFLECTION: If we think we may live the Christian life apart from other believers, we are simply deceived.