Why are two better than one?

At the end of each month this year, I am writing a ‘thought for the month’. This one is October’s. You will find the others here.

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The late Helen Keller was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer, who once famously said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Sadly, Helen contracted an illness that robbed her of her sight and hearing, when she was just 19 months old. She was seven years old when Anne Sullivan started teaching her, using her hands to communicate with Helen through touch. From then on, Helen’s quest for knowledge was unstoppable.

Alone, Helen was limited in what she could do, because she was both blind and deaf. But together with her teacher, her achievements were significant.

As I head rapidly towards my book being officially released, I’ve been acutely aware of the truth contained in Helen’s words: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

If ever there’s been a time for teamwork, it’s now, and I’ve felt so grateful for the friends who have stepped up to provide me with the help I’ve needed to get my book ready for launch – online and in-person.

Whether it’s advising about book displays, creating spreadsheets, designing promotional materials, negotiating with the publisher and printer, sketching room layouts, organising refreshments, spreading the word on social media, praying for me, or simply reassuring me that it’s going to be OK, I honestly couldn’t be doing this without them.

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There is a passage in the Bible that tells us:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. 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)

Two are better than one, because four hands double the strength to tackle difficult jobs together. Two are better than one, because they complement and encourage each other, and bring different skills, ideas and experiences to the solving of complex problems.

Two are better than one, because they can lift each other up, when life gets the other one down. They can each provide the support – practically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – that the other one needs to get back on their feet again after a setback.

Two are better than one, because God is a relational God and he designed us as relational beings. We’re not meant to operate in isolation, but to journey through life together with others. It’s when we’re caring for one another through adversity, and celebrating life’s victories together, that the body of Christ is at its strongest.

This is why two are better than one. It’s because genuine friends really matter.

As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

For me, in recent weeks, I’ve felt this keenly. Without my friends stepping up to provide the practical help, emotional support, and spiritual prayer cover – as well as a lot of laughter – there’s no way my book would be really-nearly-ready for launch.

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As you reflect on this, I have two inter-connecting threads for you to think about:

Firstly: Who are your genuine friends? How are they supporting you at the moment? When did you last stop and give thanks to God for them?

Secondly: How are you being a genuine friend to others? Who, in your life, needs you to give them practical help, emotional comfort, or spiritual prayer cover? What will you do to ensure that, for them, “two are better than one”?

As ever, constructive comments below are welcome!

Image by Dim Hou from Pixabay