The Necessity of a Companion!

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two... (Mark 6:7, NKJV)

Have you ever taken notice of how susceptible we are to temptation and sin when we are alone? Ever noticed how quickly joy can turn to despair? How quickly depression can set in? How easily we can be swayed by our emotions and our feelings? Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to stop looking at life from a Biblical sense and see it only as the world sees it? Do 0you know why this is? It's because a Christian who is all alone, without the help and support of a brother or sister in Christ, is an easy target for the enemy.

Being alone leaves us vulnerable to attacks from Satan so he has provided us with excuses to keep us separated from those of the household of faith. "I'm a loner." "I like being alone." "It's hard for me to trust people." "The people in the church are hypocrites." The church has become to religious and ritualistic," etc., etc., etc. These are many of the reasons people give for why they remain isolated from the body of Christ; but these are nothing more than excuses. Excuses the enemy are valid justifications for our division so he can continue to have his way with us. But they are lies meant to keep us isolated which was never God's intent.

The man or woman of God was not meant to be alone. From the very beginning God said so himself. "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." (Genesis 2:18, NKJV) Solomon in all his wisdom wrote "two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Even Jesus sent his disciples out two by two, and not just on one occasion as depicted in the book of Mark, but on many occasions.

We must stop falling for the lies of the devil; we must stop believing him when he tells us that we don't need anyone; we must stop allowing him to perpetuate, through us, the division that has plagued our church for so long. We need our brothers and sisters for the love they can show us, the strength, encouragement and comfort they can give us, and they need us for the exact same things.

It's so much harder for the devil to overtake us when we are with another Christian. People of like minds, faith, and belief are immovable when they stand together. That's why the enemy works so hard to keep us divided. If he can separate us, he can move one step closer to ruling us. Stop his in his tracks this day. Forget about the things that separate us. Forget what was done to you, said to you, and how it made you feel. Remember that Christ told us to forgive one another and to love one another as he loves us. (Remember that his love is unconditional.) Today start the process of building relationships with your brothers and sisters. Today find a companion and be a companion. Stop allowing the enemy to convince you that you're better off alone because you're not. He just wants you to believe you are.

Prayer for the day: Dearest Father, we give you thanks for the companions you have given us to walk with us through this life. Help us to remember the promise of Jesus that where two or three of us are gathered together he is in the midst of us. Strengthen us against the lies of the enemy. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.