
Day 265 - Serve with Others
Monica Barnes
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT
Emily Green had a vision for this devotional. She sought and found a way for this vision to become a reality. It is a big undertaking. Emily is extremely intelligent, and I’m sure she could have completed this project alone. But…what does the Bible say about doing things alone?
“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.” Have you ever heard the phrase, “Two heads are better than one?” Do you think whoever invented that phrase borrowed it from the Bible?
I don’t believe this idea stops at two, though. Later, this Scripture says, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken,” which means that three is better than two. I’d guess four or five cords would be stronger than three.
Remember the Scripture the other day about the parts of the body that make one body? This thought applies to the church when it comes to serving. Emily got a team of writers to help her with this project, and I have loved being able to share my gifts in this capacity. Being on a team means that someone else is there to pick us up when one of us falls. The more of us on a team, the more we can get done or fill in gaps when they appear.
Helen Keller once said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”
Lord, thank you for giving us gifts and talents to serve others. Jesus, thank you for modeling what serving together looks like. You assembled a team of people with different gifts, talents, strengths, and weaknesses, but they all came together with one goal – to serve you by serving others. In Acts 2, we see the apostles following the example you set for them. Help us recognize these examples and follow in your footsteps regarding increasing our social health. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Next Steps
- Think about it: Who do you enjoy serving with? Why?
- Action Step: If you’re not currently serving on a team, join us for Grow! At Grow, you will learn who we are as a church, what we value, and how you can use your gifts and abilities to serve the Kingdom of God.