Help Needed
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Insight
Close your eyes and picture someone running a marathon. What do you see? Is it just one person out there on the course by themselves? Or do you envision a mass of runners, spectators cheering them on, and even pace teams to help them maintain their speed?
Walking with Christ is a lot like running a marathon. It's grueling, it takes endurance, and it's almost impossible to do it all alone. We need encouragement, accountability, and support from fellow believers to keep putting one foot in front of the other on the path of faith.
The reality is that we can't grow into who we were truly meant to be without the help of others. Every one of us needs a few trusted voices to lovingly point out our blind spots and weaknesses when we start to veer off course. Left to our own devices, it's easy for our hearts to be deceived and for our motives to become misguided. We simply can't walk with integrity on our own.
That's why cultivating authentic community is so vital. We need others to come alongside us, to bear one another's burdens, and to spur us on toward faith and obedience. The goal isn't to "fix" each other but to be present, to listen, and to point one another back to the truth.
But we often resist this help, wanting to go it alone and handle everything ourselves. Maybe it's pride, or maybe we've just bought into our culture's myth of rugged individualism. Whatever the reason, we need to fight against this tendency and recognize that needing help isn't a weakness—it's a fundamental component of biblical community.
From the earliest pages of Scripture, we see that we were created for connection, for unity, for togetherness. God Himself exists in the perfect, loving communion of the Trinity. And we who are made in His image are likewise designed to experience life in the context of healthy relationships. It is impossible to obey Christ's commands to love one another, bear each other's burdens, and spur one another on without being intimately involved in each other's lives.
Our relationship with Christ may be personal, but it was never meant to be private. We are being made new into one Body, one spiritual family united in love for God and one another. As we journey together on the road of faith, let's hold each other up, point each other to the truth, and remind each other that the way of Jesus always leads to life.
Reflection
Reflect on the idea that "needing help isn't a weakness." How does this perspective shift your understanding of asking for and receiving support?
What are some potential blind spots or weaknesses you might have that could benefit from the loving guidance of trusted voices? How open are you to others speaking into these areas of your life?
Further Practice
If you are interested in furthering today’s practice, write a note, send a text, or call someone who has had a profound impact on your growth and faith transformation. Express your thankfulness for their encouragement, wisdom, and presence. Ask how can you can pray for them and uplift and support them.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the strength we find in one another as we walk with Christ. Help us to embrace the support and encouragement of fellow believers, recognizing that we are stronger together. Guide us to be humble and open, allowing others to speak truth into our lives, and empower us to lovingly support those around us. In Jesus' name, Amen.