Skip to main content

The Power of One: How One True Friendship Can Build You Up


 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.

 – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10


Does anyone care? 


I’ve asked myself this question more times than I’d like to admit. Not long ago, I was having a full-blown pity-party kind of day. Ever have one of those? When life just seems harder than it should be, and everyone should somehow know you are having a hard day, yet nothing. No texts. No calls. Just crickets. 


I want to say this clearly. I have a sweet and loving husband. He listens as I vent to him on the regular. He offers wisdom and fixes what he can. But on this particular day, I found myself longing for something different. A really close girlfriend. Someone who understands the unique emotions we, as women, walk through.


As Ecclesiastes reminds us, two are better than one. Notice Solomon didn’t say twenty-five is better than one. He said two. Twenty-five close friends simply are not sustainable. True friendship takes time and effort. Two commodities that seem to be harder to grasp in our fast-paced, tech-driven, instant-gratifying world. 


Jesus loves people deeply. During His time on earth, He taught the masses and drew large crowds. Mark 3 talks about the great multitude that followed Him. Yet He chose twelve apostles to walk closely with Him. And even within those twelve, He drew three, Peter, James, and John, into His innermost circle. 


These three witnessed some of His most intimate moments: the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-8, the raising of Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5:35-42, and His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:32-33. 


The intimate moments of life don’t call for crowds; they whisper for a close companion. 


Over the years, we have walked through difficult seasons, and our church has rallied around us. I know I can text almost any woman from church and ask for prayer, and she would stop what she’s doing to lift me up.  I do not take that lightly and am so grateful. 


But even with a strong community, God has still wired us for deep, personal connection. 


We see a powerful example of this in the friendship between David and Jonathan. Despite his father, King Saul’s intent to kill David, Jonathan repeatedly protected and warned him. In 1 Samuel 20, when they are forced to part ways, they weep together.


That is the power of one.


Don’t we all want a Jonathan?


So, if this is a desire you have that is lacking in your life, what can you do?


- Pray (Mark 11:24). Bring your requests before the Lord. God hasn’t created us to do life alone. Ask Him to bring a Jonathan into your life.


- Be the friend you are hoping for. (Luke 6:31) Send the “I’m praying for you” text. Invite someone for coffee. Show up when it’s inconvenient.


- Remember the Lord is the truest friend we will ever have. Delight in Him. (John 15:13-15) Put down your phone and to-do lists and sit with Him. Open His word and let it wash over you. He will meet you there. 

 

Reflect:

Whose hand can you reach for as you become the kind of friend you long to have? 


Because sometimes the “one” you are praying for begins with you.

 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seasons of Life

  “Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?”   Stevie Nicks wrote these lyrics in 1973. I have listened to Landslide more times than I can count, and each time it hits right in the gut. It’s a song about change. About fear, love, aging, and the quiet questions we all carry as life keeps moving forward.   As   I listened again recently, with the end of another year approaching, I found myself reflecting on the last twelve months. This has been a year! I’m not even sure what adjective fits best. Crazy maybe. Long. Unexpected.   Sometimes life throws so many curveballs at such an accelerated speed, all you can do is try to keep up so they don’t knock you down.   2025 has been filled with a plethora of lessons in love, humility , fear, doubt, grief, and joy. They didn’t all come easy. But then again, we were never promised easy.   In fa...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Waited.

  I beckoned you to come near, but my way didn’t look like what you wanted.   The lights of the night drew you in, Pulling you into dark corners.   I waited.   You searched for acceptance   in people with empty promises and hollow souls.     You longed for love, not realizing it was mine you needed all along.   I waited.   You turned toward me in moments in need, in fear but each time, you pulled back thinking the distance was too great to cross.   I waited.   The end of your rope seemed to get longer.   Still, I waited.   Your choices led to pain. Things once whole began to fall apart.  What you held onto slipped through your hands.   I was there. I waited.   Then, gently, I opened your eyes to what you had been chasing And your heart to what had been chasing you all along.     And when you finally stopped running There I was,   exactly where I had always been. Waiting.  
Post a Comment
Read more

Journey with God

Did you know there’s a bird famous for holding the world record for the longest nonstop flight from Alaska all the way to Australia? It traveled over 8,000 miles in just 11 days! I stumbled upon an article about the Bar-tailed Godwit while mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, and I’ll admit, I didn’t know anything about this bird before. These fascinating shorebirds escape the harsh winter for warmer climates. My first thought was, why don’t they just stop somewhere closer along the way? According to experts, stopping earlier often means landing in places with less food, more competition and predators, and poor habitats for their long bills. The Godwit’s long nonstop flight reduces these dangers. Even more impressive, these birds begin preparing for their expedition several weeks in advance. They don’t need to eat during their journey because they gorge for 1 to 2 months before departure, building up fat reserves. A few weeks before migration, their digestive organs shrink to reduce ...
Post a Comment
Read more