We live in a world where independence is sought at every turn. It is hard for people to understand the plan God put in place of needing one another. This is a thought from God before He finished His creation. In Genesis 2:18, “the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” God created man to have a need for someone else. He is God and could have created a man to be totally independent of anyone, but He did not do that. In the beginning, God made a mate for Adam and said that it was very good.
As a Christian, I have often wondered why the world at large is so hostile to those of the Christian faith. Because of this, we need to love and support one another. This was much the way things were in the first Christian church in the book of Acts. In Acts 2:42 they were faithful to adhere to the teaching of the apostles. They spent time together, ate together, and prayed together. In verse 45 they sold some of their possessions and their goods and shared with each other. They met the needs of one another. This was not a one-time thing or a once-a-week meeting. This was a life change. They were embracing their new freedom in God. They embraced the fellowship of other believers daily. Sounds like everything was going their way, but that is only because they were embracing their newfound faith and their relationships with one another. They suffered persecution and alienation from family members who were still devout Jews. Through their sufferings, they had each other and Jesus. This is what helped them to push forward and stay faithful to Christ.
Act 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Act 2:45 “And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”
Act 2:46 “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”
In John 13:34, Jesus gives us the commandment to “love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” He then teaches them one of the benefits of loving each other the way He loves them. By loving one another this way, they are a testimony for Him to the world.
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
In Galatians 6:1-2 Paul tells us that we are to bear one another’s burdens. In verse 1, we are to help other brothers or sisters who have been overcome with temptations. We are to love them and restore them to the fellowship. They need us to guide, love, and encourage them to do what is right. All of us have areas in which we are tempted. No one is immune to Satan’s attacks, and we must help each other to withstand him. We may have burdens where we need prayer partners because of the sin of a child or spouse. It may be a burden because of sickness or danger. Whatever the burden, we are to bear it together.
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
Jesus teaches the necessity for one another in Mark 6:7 “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits.” He did not send them alone to do His work. They each had a partner. When Jesus was in the garden praying before His arrest, He took the disciples with Him. His inner circle of Peter, James, and John went further into the garden with Him than the others. They were to pray for Him because of what was about to occur.
We need each other’s support. It is much easier to do what is right, to keep pushing forward, and to feel at peace when you have support from those who are like-minded. In Acts 4:32, they were of one mind. They had one purpose. They were seeking to glorify God and win others to Jesus. They were entering a new lifestyle, and it was a blessing and profitable for their faith because they had each other.
Acts 4:32 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”
We need each other for encouragement. In I Thessalonians 5:11, we are to edify, which means to build up or encourage each other.
I Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
When we become Christians, we are placed in a body of believers. All believers make up one huge family, but we are to be involved in a local church where we can be fed, supported, encouraged, loved, and grow together to be more like Jesus. In I Corinthians 12:12-14, Paul teaches us we each have a part, and if that part does not function, the entire body suffers. Are you seeking to follow Christ as a lone ranger? Do you not feel a part of things in your local body? If so, stop looking for someone to meet your needs and put yourself out there to meet the needs of others. We all need each other if we are going to be all that we are supposed to be for Christ and if we are going to be joyful and prosperous Christians.
I Corinthians 12:12-14 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
