Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NASB

The other day I had an opportunity to make a two hour drive alone. I attended a funeral and afterward stopped by to visit a good friend. I left my friend and did a little shopping and drove home. It was a good day. I enjoyed the four hours of driving that I did alone and I thoroughly enjoyed the hours that I spent catching up with my friend. I realized when we parted ways that it was long overdue. I am so thankful for my family and all of my friends. I thank God for those that He has put in my path that are there to support me when I need support. I thank God for the laughter that is shared amongst me and my friends and I thank God for my Christian friends that help to keep me on track and hold me accountable.

This is why I find the term self-made to be an oxymoron. I will agree that there are people that because of their determined nature have been able to pull themselves out of really rough circumstances to rise to the top, but somewhere along the way someone offered them a hand. In Genesis chapter 2 before God formed plants and shrubs, he formed man to care for them. After man was formed, God created the garden with the trees the shrubs and plants in the field. In verse 16 he tells man that he may eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why would God instruct Adam not to eat from this tree? Well, think about it. If we had no knowledge of good and evil, we wouldn’t worry. We would live this peaceful existence with God and have no worries and no fears. But because we fully comprehend good and evil, we are afraid. We worry about what our futures hold. In verse 18, God said that it is not good for man to be alone and decided to make him a helper. We all know the rest of the story. In that story, the two got into trouble together. Yes, if you read your bible in chapter 3 you will see that it said that Adam was right there with her.

We must be careful of the company we keep. We are clearly told in 1 Corinthians 15:33 to not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals. So we should be very careful. Sadly, our biological families can sometimes be bad company. I have often seen people profess their faith only to fall away because their family doesn’t support them in church attendance and fellowship with fellow Christians. We are told in Hebrews 10:25 that we should not fail to meet but should be encouraging one another as the day draws near. My friend, we all need encouragement. Find yourself a good church family that can encourage you and be encouraged by you.

I am amazed by the vast number of fans shown in the football stadiums on the weekend, but the vast number of churches with empty parking lots come Sunday morning. How is it that people can sit outside in freezing temperatures to encourage their team, but are unable to step into a nice warm church on Sunday morning to gather with fellow Christians? It boggles the mind.

Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another. Matthew 18:20 tells us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there. In Galatians 6:2 we are told to bear one another’s burdens. God made man to be in fellowship with Him and each other.

Ideally in a perfect universe, we would all put God first and each other second. We would live as they did in the days of Pentecost. In Acts 2:42-47, we are told that they devoted themselves to the Apostle’s teaching and breaking bread together and fellowship and prayers. They believed and held all things in common. They sold their property to help others in need. They praised God and had favor with one another and the Lord added to their number daily to be saved.

We were made to live in fellowship with other believers. We must be careful to avoid evil, but we must lift up and encourage those around us. We must come together to praise God and give him glory. Think about it this way, when we get to heaven this is exactly what we will be doing. We will be spending our days with fellow believers praising and worshiping God. It is very important that we begin practicing to do this now. Practice makes perfect. We will be brought to perfection. We are told in Philippians 1:6 that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Christ. We can never be perfect and without sin while on earth, but we can strive towards that goal knowing that when God calls us home to Him that we will be made complete and then and only then can we be perfect and sin free for eternity.

God made us to fellowship with others. He made us to bring others to Him. Tuesday I attended the funeral of a dear, sweet lady from our church and I wondered how many she had brought to Christ during her lifetime. We now have a dear sweet lady from our church that is in her final hours. She too has that sweet spirit and has been a good, Christian friend. When you are gone, will others be able to say that you showed them Christian love and had fellowship with them? I hope so because that’s really what it’s all about both down here and up there.

Have a great day!