Why Should We Choose Companionship?

A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
–Ecclesiastes 4:12

Why should we choose companionship over loneliness? Companionship offers us protection when we are under siege. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “If one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” If a rope is just one strand, you can break it easily. Two strands are harder to break, but three strands are almost impossible. It’s the same thing with people. Have you ever felt like the apostle Paul when he said, “We were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5)? Problems rarely come alone. They come in bunches. And when those attacks come, how much better to have somebody stand with you.

I am grateful for the churches Amy and I have served in. In each church, people were ready to provide assistance when we were under siege. If I was being unfairly attacked, leaders in the church would stand up to defend me. If I was being attacked by circumstances, people would say, “We are going to pray for your protection.” And pastors aren’t the only ones who experience attacks. We all have circumstances that conspire against us. We have an enemy who is out to destroy us. One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to isolate you from other people, and once he gets you separated from your church, friends, and family, you are spiritual roadkill before you know it. Satan has a much more difficult time if two of you are standing together. And if three or four are standing together, protecting one another, Satan’s attack cannot succeed.

Companionship also offers accountability when we are prone to wander from the faith. I cannot tell you the number of Christian leaders I have known who have fallen into immorality or disbelief and left thousands of people disillusioned as a result. Their fall was a long process that most people didn’t see. That’s how sin occurs. There is a gradual erosion in our lives, a compromise here and there. More and more times skipped reading God’s Word and spending time with Him in prayer, growing cynicism toward people and the things of God. Many times, those small changes happen in secret, but then our final fall is seen by everyone. That is what happened to Solomon. When he was named king, Solomon said, “Lord, I am going to serve You with a whole heart. I want not riches, not power, I just want wisdom from You.” God was so pleased that He gave Solomon all those other things as well. That’s how Solomon started. Unfortunately, it’s not how he ended. His downfall is recorded in 1 Kings 11:4: “When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God.” You know the tragedy of Solomon’s life? There was nobody to call his hand on those small defections that were taking place in his faith. Nobody cared enough about Solomon to say, “I care about you, but if you keep going down this road, you are going to end up in a bad place.” Do you have somebody like that in your life–somebody who is concerned about you enough that they are willing to tell you the truth? That’s what companionship does.

***

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Choosing Companionship over Loneliness” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2019.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.