From “Better Together” by Doug Fields (a HomeWord Daily Devotional)
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
There’s a phrase used in churches that I really love: “We are better together.” Better together is a fantastic slogan. It simply means that when other people are in our lives, we’ll thrive. It’s a great idea (and biblical)!
Better together also means that God has created and called us into relationships. Not only has He summoned us into a personal relationship with Himself, but He invites us to have significant relationships with other humans. Apart from entering into those kinds of deep, real relationships, we cannot live the lives of abundance that God intended. But when we do have real, connecting relationships in our lives, we can: Know and be known; love and be loved; celebrate and be celebrated; and serve and be served…that’s God’s invitation to us today. Isn’t that what you really want?
When I think of friendship, three images come to mind:
Friendship is sometimes like a lump of unformed clay. It just sits there like a big gray blob of muck. It’s undeveloped; it’s not good for much…but it has potential. It’s just going to take some work to shape it.
Friendship is sometimes like a lump of clay that’s being formed. Time and intention have been put into it. Maybe it’s developing the shape of a bowl or an urn or mug. The friendship is nice, it could be functional, but it isn’t yet all it’s meant to be.
But friendship is occasionally like a beautiful vase. Here, the clay that started as a lump has been formed and put through the fire. When it comes out the other side, it’s complete. It’s functional, and it’s all it’s meant to be. It’s a thing of beauty.
That’s always God’s invitation with friendships: to let them be all they can be.
These types of relationships are always within our grasp. God brings them our way, and He invites our cooperation in their forming. If you’ve been holding back, drowning in a pool of isolation, the good news is that you can change! Don’t wait. Find someone. Connect. Cultivate. And commit to cherish your newfound friendship. Seize the day! Because, remember, we’re always better together!
Olive Branch Family,
We are better together! Who doesn’t want to know and be known; love and be loved; celebrate and be celebrated; and serve and be served? I think the description of the three images can apply to our family members as well. Let’s make our families all they can be!
Think about this:
- What do you want your family to know about you that they might not know?
- What do you want to know about your family? What a great time for family stories!
- What are things your family does that shows you love?
- Do you know each other’s love languages? (Check out the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman)
- What can you celebrate? I’m certain you can find something each day.
- How can you serve each other?
Most of us (if not all of us) have been sheltering in for the past two weeks. The internet and social media help keep us connected to our co-workers and friends. BUT, let’s not miss out on the opportunity to be “better together” as a family.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Prov 27:17
Be better together!
Gina Vildibill
Sr. Director of Family Ministries