FriendshipSample

Tuesday: Created for Community

SOAP: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two people are better than one, 

because they can reap more benefit from their labor. 

For if they fall, one will help his companion up, 

but pity the person who falls down 

and has no one to help him up. 

Furthermore, if two lie down together, 

they can keep each other warm, 

but how can one person keep warm by himself? 

Although an assailant may overpower one person, 

two can withstand him. 

Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken. 

Devotion:

We were created to rely on other people. Sometimes we can be deceived into thinking that before sin entered the world, humans were totally self-sufficient, able to do everything on their own. But we were created, even before sin, as finite creatures: with limited power and abilities. We were created small and weak compared to many of the other creatures God made. From the beginning of the story, we were made to need one another. 

This section of Ecclesiastes is on friendship, and it summarizes some of the beautiful benefits of living in community. We can work together to get more accomplished, help each other when we fall, protect each other from the coldness of the world, and we can fight against evil. This is a reminder that our relationships serve a purpose: they aren’t just about the good times; they are God’s gift to us during the hard times. We need to cultivate relationships that fulfill this purpose by serving one another selflessly and modeling for others what it looks like to care for one another. 

Prayer:

God, thank You for this picture of what friendship looks like. Show me the people in my life that I can serve better and with whom I can build a better relationship. Amen.