Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Ecclesiastes 4:11 (NKJV)
In Ecclesiastes 4:11 we see a powerful principle of friendship at work. Two people who are cold share the warmth they have and it increases. We could also say that when two friends who are feeling down share the joy and gratitude they have, they come away from the interaction smiling. God did not design us to be independent.
Many struggle with this idea as we have been socially acclimatized to think that independence equals strength. Most action movie heroes are lone rangers, taking on the world alone. In reality, this was not God’s design. Actually, it takes more strength to maintain honest, healthy relationships than it does to live life alone.
I’m certainly not saying that we should be overly dependent on others either. Yet in Genesis 2:18, God said, It is not good that man should be alone (NKJV). We need each other, but in an interdependent way.
We bring strength to each other. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped (MSG).
If you feel that you need to tackle the world alone, look at the examples of great men and women in the Bible. David had Jonathan. Moses had Aaron. Paul had Timothy. Even Jesus had a close circle of friends—you need them too.
Get a new picture of strength—in interdependence.