Companionship Along The Journey

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
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9Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
                                                                                               
                There’s so much to be said for close companionship and a strong sense of community along life’s journey especially when the path is littered with trials, suffering, or uncertainty. If we’re honest, this is the path everyone travels at one time or another, yet most of us are not ready to admit it. One thing I’m continuing to learn as the years go by is that ‘control’ is an illusion and I must “surrender” more and more areas of my life to the Lord, trusting that He is with me in all things. I do find that He gives us assurance of His presence through the comfort of His Holy Spirit and the truth of His word, but He also provides sources of comfort and fellowship through close companions who are committed to walk the journey with us. However, within ourselves can be a prevailing mind-set of ‘self-sufficiency’ that pushes us, even as believers, to strive for survival independent of God and community with other believers (The Church and close friends in Christ). It’s often easy to hide behind seemingly ‘perfect facades’ out of fear, not wanting to let anyone into our world. The Apostle Paul commands us in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  The Lord’s desire for us is to speak His truth into one another’s lives, doing life together, benefiting from a fellowship that is not easily broken. As it is written in Proverbs 27:12, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” These earthly bonds the Lord has provided are invaluable relationships which serve to draw us nearer to Him, ultimately allowing us to see Him more clearly as we walk together with others along life’s journey.  
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              God’s call for us is to become transparent with other individuals we can trust to accompany us along the journey, whom we can mutually show compassion, demonstrate His unconditional love toward, daily pouring His grace over one another, finally allowing us to continue growing into the unique children He created us to become. In return, we will repeatedly be transformed through the process of being in community and fellowship with these trusted individuals that God has placed in our path. This is part of God’s work in our lives as He strengthens our faith and trust in Him, and therefore we will be less likely overpowered by the things that once defeated and discouraged us so easily. Pray and ask God to lead you to a “trusted believer” who will walk along beside you, who will demonstrate compassion toward you, who will sometimes simply listen, and who will be okay with not having all the answers, but will also serve as a constant companion continually pointing you to Christ along The Journey.
 
Connecting Faith & Life:

                Father, thank You for the beauty of companionship along the journey of life as we travel with fellow believers who help us to carry our burdens. Thank you for individuals you purposefully allow to cross our paths for encouragement, growth, and comfort. You are the God of infinite wisdom who knows every intimate detail of our lives, especially when we need those trusted companions in the faith to help sharpen us and bear our burdens. Lord, may You continually bring those individuals into our lives according to Your time and will, and allow us to cross paths with others who need to be encouraged with the hope and comfort of Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.