Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up. —Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
Even with life a complicated maze of obligations, disappointments, longings, and uncertainties—new health scares, financial strain, painful losses, and bone-tired weariness— God settles and stabilizes our hearts, even as He broadens us beyond ourselves and our own personal concerns.
He places us in close-knit, Christ-centered relationships, through which we can experience and express more of His love. He makes us at home in others’ homes—and others at home in ours—to unite us across generations and protect us against our tendencies toward insecurity and isolation. To give us friendship. To give us growth. To give us hope. To give us joy.
Yes, we will feel overwhelmed at times. Choosing to invest in others or to receive another’s counsel and care involves cost and sacrifice. But none of that can compare with the refreshment, connectedness, and joy we receive from these relationships, not to mention the greater joy of glorifying God through fruitful lives.
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Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together ©2017 Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible ®. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible ® and CSB ® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Make it Personal
When have relationships with other believers strengthened your faith, refreshed your soul, brought you joy?