Strength In Numbers

Good Morning,

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV)
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Sometimes when I look around me I see too many people who have chosen to "go it alone" in their walk with God. That troubles me and should trouble you, as well. Do you know someone who has taken that path? Have you seen it, as well? This "lone wolf" kind of attitude can lead to trouble and even destruction.

Then, there are also those who, even though they attend church services each week, don't seem to connect with their brothers and sisters in Christ. This is also very troubling and can lead to a weak belief and an even weaker defense when attacked.

Quite simply put, being alone in our Christianity can be, and often is, very dangerous. We are given examples in today's Scripture of why two are better than one alone and then three are even better than two. This is true in just about every aspect of life and living. It is especially true when it comes to fending off the attacks of our enemy, the devil. Satan will look to attack those who are taking their Christian walk alone. He will do that, of course, simply because that person doesn't have an ally close at hand to help him or her to fight off the temptations and assaults that will surely come our way when we choose to walk with the Lord.

My friends, we all need what is now commonly called an "accountability partner" as we go through our lives and try to fight off the enemy's onslaughts. We've talked about this in the past and I guess that God wants us to talk about it again today. Some might not know exactly what this "accountability partner" really is. Simply put, an accountability partner is a person to whom one can go with anything that is going on in his or her life. A person who is trusted completely so that you or I can open up our hearts and souls and bare our deepest secrets. A person to whom we can openly tell of all that's going on in our lives. Someone who loves us and is there to help us through both the good and the bad, the ups and the downs. Someone who wants to share life and experience. Without such a person in your life, then your life is just harder to live. With such a person in your life, then every step of life is just that much easier.

It's not easy to find such a person. It is worth any and all effort that we might make to seek out such a one, but it is often a difficult task. Every one of us should have...needs...an accountability partner. This type of relationship isn't really a luxury in our lives, it is a necessity. For those of us who are fortunate enough to have found a person to whom we can be 100% open and honest and tell every secret...good and bad...those people are very fortunate and fully understand what God has given us to think about today. For those of us who do not have someone like this, they understand...right now...how difficult life often is when we're trying to walk alone and have nobody to share our hearts and souls with. For others of us who have had a totally trusted friend in our lives and then have lost that relationship for whatever reason, these people feel a loss that is akin to losing a parent, spouse, or child.

I cannot stress strongly enough the absolute need to have a totally trusted person in your life to share with. Yes, it can be a spouse...but often isn't. It MUST be a person of the same sex because there are things that men understand about men's challenges and that women understand about women's. It should be a relationship that continues to grow and is definitely a "two way street" in giving, helping, and being there. There can be NO SECRETS at all from either person. There has to be regular contact between these two people and it should be often...even daily.

So, right now, if you are walking alone and don't have this close, trusted, and loved person in your life. STOP now and pray that God will place someone in your path who seeks the same kind of relationship that you know you need. I pray for all of us to have this person in our lives. We need it.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David