Motivated!

I had a great conversation with a friend last week, one of those "casual conversations that shakes you to the core even though you weren't expecting it" kind of conversations.

We both want to get healthy. Not just looking good on the outside, but physically strong from the heart to the muscles to the brain. All the "diet" (we're not dieting per se, just cutting out our beloved buttercream) and exercise experts suggest having an accountability partner. They say the accountability leads to greater success. I sure hope so! My friend and I bought in - we will sink or swim, together!

God implores us to live the same way. Ecclesiastes 4: 8-12 says,

There was a man all alone;

he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil,

yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

"For whom am I toiling," he asked,

"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"

This too is meaningless--

a miserable business!

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!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

That last verse, "...A cord of three strands is not quickly broken," is familiar to many of us. You, me, and God: together we can do it. Reading that familiar verse in the context of the earlier one, the man toiling alone, I think the importance of togetherness is amplified.

The cord of three strands does so much:

• It gives us balance. If the lonely man (verse 8) had someone by his side, he could step back from his work and realize there's more to life than accumulating things.
• It provides accountability. Walking with a friend who helps us focus on "the things of God" keep us on the right path. It's harder to stray away with a friend there to encourage and pray.
• It strengthens us. Twine is strong because it is made up of many fibers, spun together. Any fiber, alone, is easy to snap. The same is true for us. Living together, with God, we are stronger than any one of us alone. 

I wonder if that toiling man would be less weary and more joyful if he stopped living his life alone. What if he went to church to worship God in a community of believers? What if he joined a small group of others who would encourage him when he struggled - pointing him back to scripture and praying with him when he started to stray or felt weak?

There are lots of lonely people in this world. Let's remind them that they are not alone. Let's encourage them, pray with them, and reach out to them. 

How about you? Who needs your support today? What are you going to do to reach out to them?