We All Need Each Other
Last week we celebrated Independence Day. We Americans LOVE our independence. Our nation was founded on the Declaration of Independence. We learn at an early age to be independent. We feel like if we become independent we will be happy. If that is true then this world should be the happiest place. And yet, we have never had more unhappy people in the world than we do today. Why? I once thought that I could just stay in my bubble, isolated, with all my barriers up and keep everyone at a distance. But even that did not make me happy.
Independence is not the answer! Happiness doesn’t come from independence. Happiness comes from interdependence. Happiness comes from community. Notice what the Bible says in Romans chapter 12:5 "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." We need each other. God wired all of us in such a way that we can only fulfill His purpose for our lives in community, in His family, in relationship to each other.
Today, we are going to look at 5 reasons we need each other.
1. WE NEED OTHERS TO WALK WITH US
You need other believers to help you grow spiritually. In Colossians 2:6 it says "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:" God never intended for you to walk through life alone. NEVER! You never learn to be more like Christ because you are never challenged or provided with opportunities to live out your faith.
There are 3 reasons it is better to walk with others in life:
1. It's safer - You always hear "safety in numbers".
2. It's supportive - It keeps you from giving up.
3. It's smarter - You'll learn a whole lot more when you go through life with other people close to you. You will learn from them and learn from their mistakes.
2. WE NEED OTHERS TO WORK WITH US
Do you know that the Bible says God put you on earth to do certain things? Look at Ephesians 2:10. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Before you were even born... God decided what talents you were going to get... what natural abilities, what gifts, what background. He decided all of these things because He wants you to do certain things with your life. They’re called here “good work.” This is your ministry here on earth. Anytime you use the talents God has given you to help other people, that’s your ministry.
Now God tells us why we need others to work with us... "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour." Ecclesiastes 4:9
3. WE NEED OTHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR US
Philippians 2:4 says "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Basically we need to be the "Neighborhood Watch" for others around us. When you go on vacation, who watches your stuff? Who gets the mail? We all need others in life, but we also need somebody to watch out for your soul. Wouldn’t you agree that your soul is more important you’re your stuff? If so, who’s helping you out in your spiritual journey? Who’s watching out for you? Who’s asking you the hard questions of life? Who cares enough to make sure you are still growing in your spiritual walk? Who’s watching out for you when you get discouraged, depressed, and feel like giving up? You see, the fact is we all have blind spots, don’t we? There are things in our lives that we can’t see, that only other people can see. If you have a taillight that goes out, you’re never going to know it. Somebody’s got to tell you, “You’ve got a tail light out.” We need others to watch out for us!
Here’s another question: Who’s back are you watching out for? Who is there in your life that you care enough to confront when they stray? Who is there in your life that you can say to them: “You know what? I’m going to be with you through thick or thin?” We need to watch out for each other!
4. WE NEED OTHERS TO WAIT AND WEEP WITH US
We need others who are going to be with us in the crises of life. We need others with us when we are waiting for the bad news...
We need others with us when we are weeping...
There are many situations in life that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to sit alone in a hospital, waiting during a life or death surgery. No woman should have to wait alone while she’s waiting to hear back from a lab test from a problem pregnancy. No one should ever have to sit alone at home, waiting for the coroner to identify the body of a loved one who just had a heart attack in your home. No one should have to wait alone in that situation. No one should ever have to stand at an open grave alone. No man or woman should ever have to spend the first night alone when his wife dies or her husband dies.
I could go on and on and on. We were not meant to face the crises of life alone. Now the fact is some of these things are going to happen, and have happened in your life. And only a fool would go through life unprepared for what they know is inevitably going to happen. You need the support network in your life now because you don’t know when the crisis is going to come. The time to prepare is now!
And God has provided a safety net for you. What is that safety net? It’s a group of believers committed to you.
By the way, when you are with someone going through a crisis, don’t offer shallow advice. When people are going through a crisis, they don’t want advice. They just want somebody to be there. They want to know that you care. Just sit there and be quiet with them. You don’t have to say anything profound. Don’t even try! Usually that will hurt more than it will help. People don’t need a lot of advice from you. They just need you to be there with them.
5. WE NEED OTHERS TO WITNESS WITH US
What does that mean?
Well, God has a plan for your life. He has a purpose for your life. He has a mission for your life. And you have a life message that God wants you to share with the world. And it’s a message only you can share because there is only one you. Now that’s kind of scary to think about, isn’t it? Sharing your life message with the world!
That’s why you need other people in your life. You need other people in your life to help you fulfill the mission that God put you here on earth to fulfill. But, how do we do it? How do we witness to others?
What’s the best way to witness to people who don’t yet know about the love of Jesus Christ? Well, it’s going to surprise you... Do you know what it is? It’s by loving other believers!
That’s what Jesus said. Look at John 13:35... “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"
Your love for other people in the family of God is proof that you are in the family of God.
CONCLUSION
Philippians 1:27 says "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;"
We all need each other. We all really need each other.
We need other believers to walk with us.
We need other believers to work with us.
We need other believers to watch out for us.
We need other believers to wait with us and weep with us. And...
We need other believers to witness with us.
I want you to say this with me:
I really, really, really need others in my life.
Go ahead. It wasn’t that hard, was it?
That is your declaration of interdependence.
We really do need each other.
