We are Better Together

1 Chronicles 18; Jonah 2; Luke 7; James 5

I tend to be a loner. I get more done when alone, am less distracted and have trouble making small talk. However, our church is strong on the idea of community and working together. For me, this has been a steep learning curve. Today’s readings are helpful, starting with David’s leadership example:

Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and Shavsha was secretary; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were the chief officials in the service of the king. (1 Chronicles 18:13–17)

God gave David victory wherever he went. However, David did not win battles by himself. His support group was strong with a variety of leaders including David’s sons.

The story of Jonah is not as glorious. He was sent to preach repentance to Nineveh, a great and wicked city. He knew God had the power to change their lives and he didn’t want that so he ran the other direction. The sailing ship he was on ran into a game-changing storm sent by God. This man admitted to the terrified sailors that this storm was his fault and finally convinced them to toss him overboard. He was swallowed by a great fish and after three days and three nights, he cried out to God and was vomited out on dry land. At that, he decided to go to Nineveh.

Would all this have happened had Jonah taken a team of evangelists with him? Would a support team given him rebukes and encouragement to obey God rather than run away? While the story of Jonah doesn’t say anything about his aloneness, history does show that solitary service is not wise. The enemy will attack anyway but without the support and encouragement of other people, failure is more likely.

The NT is full of instruction about “one another” indicating the importance of community and Body life. We who believe are the family of God, sons and daughters who must stick together and encourage one another. Many verses attest to this and a few show the folly of going it alone. Even the passage in James 5 hints that those whose goal is riches are alone because they “live on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence” and are abusive to anyone that works for them and who cry out to God against them.

Instead, James points to Job. Even though his “friends” were physically present, they were not supportive, yet Job remained steadfast, a rare ability for anyone in similar struggles. James also said if anyone was sick, to call for the elders — get some support. He told his readers to confess their sins to one another that they may be healed, not suffer alone. Not only that, if anyone “wanders from the truth” whoever brings them back is noted for helping that person be saved and forgiven.

Even Jesus showed the value of teamwork. He arrived on earth alone but gathered twelve to be with Him, not that He needed them as much as they needed Him, but also that they could experience being together in that need and finding full fellowship with Jesus as a group, a small community that eventually became millions. I’ve noticed that no matter what part of the world we are in, when we meet other Christians, we feel as if we have known them forever. The Holy Spirit makes community easier!

APPLY: Breaking or avoiding that bond is not a good idea. God made us to be together with others. Hermits can become “strange” in aloneness. Widows can wither with loneliness. Children become despondent without playmates. Yet this need shows up even more in the Body of Christ. Satan more easily gets at the minds and life of those who have no one who encourages them. This pandemic with its isolation requirements has been difficult for many because we are sitting ducks for all sorts of fearful thoughts that could more easily be dismissed if we had a support team to help us distinguish the enemy’s lies from the facts we need to know. Sometimes the media makes Covid-19 statistics sound like the government is trying to put us under their thumb. It’s easy to think ‘conspiracy’ and harder to sort fact from false news. I’m not fearful (God is not the author of fear) but when another Christian comes alongside to encourage me, I realize by my appreciation how much I need other people. Today I am asking the Lord to put on my mind those who need a call or a text because this isolation is beginning to weigh heavy on many hearts.