HELP SOMEONE UP!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

This verse is not just talking about marriage, even though you can use it for married people.  This verse is a call to those who can and should be there for other people.  This is not an, “I am all alone” verse, and “I have no one to help me if I ever fall down.”  This verse is a call to all of us to look out for those who are alone; and if we are alone, to remedy the situation by looking for others who are alone.  I remember many, many years ago, in a leaders’ meeting, I was ministering along these lines.  I was talking about this verse and how the man who was paralyzed had four friends who lowered him in front of Jesus; and when Jesus saw their faith (all five of them), the paralyzed man was healed.  I then said to my leaders, “Everyone needs four crazy friends; go be a crazy friend to someone.”  One of the leaders came to me the following week and said he realized he had no real friends at CWOL.  He then left the church and, thus, the will of God, and, unfortunately, things fell apart in his life.

My point is what?  This is not an “I am alone God; where oh where are all my friends?” verse.  This is a whether you feel alone, are alone, or have lots of friends, it is time for all of us to look out and be there to pick people up if they fall down.  We who are spiritual are to restore people and pick them up when they fall down according to Galatians 6:1.

I know we all have stuff going on in our lives, but one of the responsibilities of every born-again believer is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  It is the great commandment according to Jesus.  It reminds me of the man Jesus healed at the pool. Jesus asked him why he had not gotten healed after all the years of hanging out by the pool where the angel was troubling the water and the first one in got healed?  The man said he didn’t have anyone to help him get into the water; after the angel came, someone always beat him in and only the first one in got healed.  We have the ability every day to get fallen people to Jesus.  Let’s look around and see if anyone has fallen down and are they alone?  Let’s lend them a hand, whether that’s ministering to a spiritual, emotion, physical, or even a natural need!