BETTER TOGETHER

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“…as ridiculous as it may sound, sometimes all any of us needs in life is for someone to hold our hand and walk next to us.” – Frey

True!

It was good to “be back in the gathering” yesterday.  My schedule and some unwelcomed illness have kept me from my weekly gathering at church for a few weeks.  It was a good to be back together with friends and family. 

And yesterday our Pastor shared about the importance and POWER of Togetherness.  He sited passages from Acts, Matthew, Romans and others to press home the point that “we are better together.”  And as Mark shared, I was reminded of a little talk I had just shared with some friends at Ginghamsburg and more recently down in Middletown for a new recovery team.

That talk is titled, “We are Better When we Belong” and I have applied it to a couple recent OFH entries.  But as Pastor was sharing, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a couple of the passages from it.  One being…

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (MSG)

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

There really is POWER in togetherness. Isolation leaves us vulnerable; vulnerable to the enemy and unfortunately our “sinful nature” as well.  But when we grab the hand of another or allow ourselves to integrate with healthy groups, we can better fend off the enemy’s attacks and keep that old sin nature in check!

I know I have shared this little quote from researcher Brene’ Brown recently, but it does bear repeating and I believe re-emphasizes this NEED and BENEFIT of TOGETHERNESS!

“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.”

She is so right.  It is the reason Jesus encouraged us to “gather”. It is just healthier for us and opens the door for Him to join! For wherever two or three people come together in my name, I am there, right among you!...

Matthew 18:20 (PH)

So today, avoid the isolation.  Embrace togetherness.  Gather whenever possible. Remember, it’s good for you!

For Arroyo said it this way…

The power of one, if fearless and focused, is formidable, but the power of many working together is better.

Have a BLESSED DAY!!!

Love all of you

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE