Friendship

Friendship

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. Ecc 4:10

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Ecclesiastes 4 (NIV)

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.
2 And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.
3 But better than both
is he who has not yet been,
who has not seen the evil
that is done under the sun.
4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands
and ruins himself.
6 Better one handful with tranquillity
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
"For whom am I toiling," he asked,
"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

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The story is told of an occurrence during the Special Olympics held in North
America one year. The athletes were lined up to run the 100 metre course. The gun
sounded and they all broke toward the finish line. Their physical challenges added
to their difficulties, but each put forth all of his effort to cross the finish line.

One of the front runners fell badly. The others saw the tumble and obviously knew
the fall must have hurt. They had each fallen before. They all slowed down and
stopped to help their companion. Together they got him to his feet and then,
with arms around each other, they completed the race and
crossed the finish line together.

The spectators and fans stood. They cheered and shouted their
encouragement and approval.

Nothing more needs to be said to illustrate Solomon’s point in Ecclesiastes.

It IS God’s way. As we follow Jesus, let’s do it.

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Heavenly Father, I live in a world where everyone is taught to look after number
one first. I know that You told us to have no other gods before You, but that seems
to have been lost somewhere in the past. Heavenly Father, help us all to
understand that You are number one and You have asked us to
bear one another’s burdens. Amen.

- Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.