9,10 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 (NASB)
Do you want to walk or run in your relationship with Christ? If you want to run, join some pacesetters.
Independence looks pretty inviting at times — freedom, no strings attached, captain of my soul. But an independent spirit really limits how far you will get and how soon you will get there. Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, says you limit the results if you run alone.
Most teams have athletes who profess to know Jesus, but some of them live on the fringes of the group of believers. Whether it is because of risk, personalities, or beliefs, they find it easier to remain outside the circle. It is also costly.
God intentionally created every one of us with weaknesses; it positioned us to need each other. There are times when we will have to stand alone, but as a whole, no one lives the Christian life very well alone.
In the company of fellow-runners we find strength, care, encouragement, perspective, courage and momentum.
On a Saturday night following Thanksgiving, this team made chapel a time of thanks and praise. Instead of a speaker, the players and coaches circled their chairs, and each person expressed his thankfulness for something. Men were grateful for their families, their opportunities in the NFL and their spiritual blessings.
One rookie shared that his disappointment in not being drafted had turned to thankfulness — that his disappointment was overshadowed by now playing with a group of men who followed Jesus with a zeal he had never known.
Some of his teammates were runners. They changed the rookie’s pace and intensified his relationship with Jesus.
Ask God for some pacesetters in your life, at your church, in your school or on your team. You will run better together.
