The Value of a Friend
God’s Living Word – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, (NKJV)
The Value of a Friend
9 Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Food For Thought
Interpersonal Relationships
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reminds us why we bring people together in organizations. We can do better work (v.9) and can help each other in difficult times (vv. 10-12). In explaining this concept, the author provides us with a powerful visual image.
Take a thread and see how much strength is needed to break it. It’s easily doable. But take three strands of the same thread and twist them together; the task of snapping them becomes more difficult (v.12). What is so simple with thread can be difficult in a leadership situation. The leader has to relate to his or her followers in a way that encourages the intertwining of ideas, commitments and values.
Three separate individuals are as vulnerable as one individual alone. The word “relationship” implies the attempt to twist the threads together. The result? Better work, less vulnerability. (Notes from The Leadership Bible, NIV © 1998)
May God’s Living Word touch your heart in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen!
Brother Rubin For IBC