Together

by Andrew Cromwell

Don’t do life alone. Not if you can avoid it! 

There is a deep need inside of every human being for friendship. Of course there are people that are genuinely leave-me-alone hermit types. These types (you know who you are), don’t really care for people much and tend to select isolation over human connection. In the most extreme cases — can you say, Ted Kaczynski? — they even turn against their fellow humans.

Hermits and loners notwithstanding, nearly everyone has a deep, ingrained need for contact with others. In the Creation story in Genesis, the Creator God systematically creates the universe and all that is in it. After each instance of creation, He makes a declaration that “It is good.” He creates the sun, moon and stars and declares it good. He makes the earth and oceans, and declares it good. He makes all the animals and fish of the sea and declares them good too. 

Such is the pattern of creation up to and including the creation of man. This is the first time in the story that the Creator says something is not good. You can almost sense the Creator looking down at man and shaking His head and saying, “this guy just isn’t going to make it by himself.” That first man, Adam, needed someone to walk with him, and until he had someone, something was missing.

We all need someone else. Love demands it. Love that is not directed towards someone else is only a half-love at best and at worst it is a selfish love. We say things like, “I love my car”, “I love that tie”, or “I love skittles”, but this kind of love is simply an extension of loving yourself. We like these things because they make us feel a certain way. 

It is even possible to love people in this selfish way. When we objectify people and see them simply as means to the end of self-pleasing, then we have fallen into this trap. Much of the way our culture views relationships is based on this kind of self-love. Perhaps this is one of the reasons we seem to have such a difficult time with enduring relationships. When we discover this person, who we once thought was our perfect mate, begin to act in ways that don’t make us feel good, we start to look for the escape hatch.

Real love, on the other hand, is directed at another person and finds fulfillment in their fulfillment rather than in one’s own fulfillment. This kind of love cannot be experienced with objects. It is the kind of love that requires us to give of ourselves without expecting a return. It puts the other person first and seeks their best.

Doing life together requires us to put others first. When we do so we discover what true companionship means.

Enough is Enough!

by Tim Howard

In John chapter 6 the Bible tells us of a time when Jesus fed 5,000+ hungry people. The disciples had asked Jesus to send the people away since it was getting late and they hadn’t had dinner yet. But when Jesus told the disciples not to send them on their way but to feed the people themselves, they reacted with an attitude. They knew they couldn’t afford to purchase the necessary items and even if they did have the finances where would they find enough food to meet the needs of that many people.

Regardless of their reaction Jesus was confident and committed to meeting the needs of the moment and asked the disciples what food was available. One responded by saying: “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.”

That statement was similar to the words spoken by a mother, as she looked into the pantry for food to feed her four children. A sense of panic began to pierce her heart as she moaned quietly, what shall we do – there’s not enough!

Instantly, however, a voice within her spirit asked a poignant question. Why don’t you give thanks for what you DO HAVE rather than what you DON’T HAVE? It didn’t make sense from a rational point of view but she responded by giving thanks nonetheless. In that specific moment of time, this mother of four began to sense a peace that went beyond her comprehension. She experienced the reality of Phil. 4:6-7, which says: “ Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

On the journey of life, there are many critical moments when we discover there just isn’t enough to make it. Those times are reality checks. When Jesus suggested that the people be fed, the response of the disciples revealed their human perspective. “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish…” There simply isn’t enough!

When Jesus saw the small amount of food, however, He wasn’t intimidated or doubtful because He knew what God could do when offered even a little. He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.” Everyone ate that day.

Jesus paused and GAVE THANKS. It wasn’t much. It wasn’t impressive. It wasn’t enough to make a real difference in the human sense but He gave thanks anyway. Then, He broke the bread and it multiplied! What God takes, He breaks and whatever He breaks, He blesses. When God gets involved, whatever we have – is enough!

Giving thanks for what we do possess rather than focusing on what we do not possess will always open a door to the supernatural. It’s the beginning point for man and the entry point for God. May I suggest a threefold plan when there is not enough food or not enough money or not enough time or joy or romance etc... 1. Give thanks regardless of the shortage. 2. Offer what you have to God even though it may be miniscule. 3. Then watch God work on your behalf. You will discover you have enough to make it!