TEAMWORK
“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ESV)
Friendship is an intriguing connection. Relationships in general begin simple and basic, but grow to be complicated and even overwhelming. Friendships are ever changing and challenging. Every year it becomes easier to not make that weekly, monthly, or yearly call in order to catch up and stay in touch. It also seems to get harder and harder to meet new people and actually invest time to get to know each other.
However, the Bible encourages us to not live a lonely, secluded life. In the verse above we are simply told one of the benefits of having good friends. When the going gets tough it is always helpful to have a good friend to support you. Ecclesiastes says that we are stronger when we work together rather than alone. My first reaction is to write this verse off as common sense. The principle behind the passage is simple, right?
The more I think about this principle, the more I realize how many excuses I use to contradict this message weekly. The main reason that keeps me from experiencing the strength of working together is the overwhelming desire to do it myself. Today I drove back from a trip to Indiana. Before leaving I got verbal directions on a quicker route home from a friend. After driving 40 minutes, I had absolutely no idea if I was still going the right direction. It took me another hour until I called to find out if I was still on the right track. Luckily I somehow stayed on the right path home, but I could have easily driven over an hour in the complete wrong direction.
Keeping good friends close can prevent costly decisions. Being a good friend certainly is not an effortless task, but having friends that will step though life with us is more beneficial than we will ever be able to calculate.
This week is such a great time to thank people in our lives that have helped us when we needed it. It is also a great time to be there for someone that could use an extra hand.
Have a great Thanksgiving Chalk Talkers and enjoy your time off this week with friends and family.
-Matt Simmonds
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