God Calls Us to Community, Not Isolation
Daily Scripture
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, Proverbs 18:24, 27:17
Ecclesiastes 4
7 Next, I saw under the sun something else that was pointless: 8 There are people who are utterly alone, with no companions, not even a child or a sibling. Yet they work hard without end, never satisfied with their wealth. So for whom am I working so hard and depriving myself of enjoyment? This too is pointless and a terrible obsession.
9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work. 10 If either should fall, one can pick up the other. But how miserable are those who fall and don’t have a companion to help them up! 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can stay warm. But how can anyone stay warm alone? 12 Also, one can be overpowered, but two together can put up resistance. A three-ply cord doesn’t easily snap.
Proverbs 18
24 There are persons for companionship, but then there are friends who are more loyal than family.
Proverbs 27
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens a friend.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Bill Shankly: “I believe in everybody working for the same goal and everybody having a share in the rewards. That’s how I see football, that’s how I see life.”
Bill Shankly managed Liverpool from 1959 to 1974, transforming a second-division team into a championship side partly by “making supporters feel like participants.” * The wisdom writers of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes saw shared life as a basic human truth. Hebrew wisdom said God calls people to be, not self-serving individuals, but a community, a family. Proverbs went further—a true friend can be “more loyal than family” (Proverbs 18:24), and friendship “sharpens” us “as iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). Real connection shapes us for good.
- The teacher of Ecclesiastes valued friendship’s warmth. “Two are better than one,” he wrote, because friends help each other up, keep each other warm, and create strength together. ** He added that “a three-ply cord doesn’t easily snap”—suggesting three companions are even better than two. In what ways have trusted, supportive friends given you strength to face life? When has a friend specifically “sharpened” you—helping you grow in ways you couldn’t have grown on your own?
- Parts of your spiritual journey happen alone—just you and God— yet the Bible often called God’s people a “family” (Deuteronomy 26:11, Romans 12:10). That’s why Resurrection offers many ways to build friendships that are more than social. *** Dr. David Hubbard noted that “prayer is often corporate”—other members of Christ’s body can deepen our experience of God’s presence. **** What kind of friendship or belonging have you always wanted, even if you haven’t found it yet? How does knowing God’s design is for shared life help you to keep seeking?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for keeping your promise not to leave me alone. Help me embrace the friends and faith family you’ve given me, that we might sharpen each other and walk together on this spiritual journey. Amen.
GPS Insights
Phoenix Walden
Phoenix Walden, who serves as a Summer Intern in Tech Production, wrote today’s Insights Blog. Phoenix is going to be a sophomore at the University of Kansas with a degree in film production, a minor in history, and is a member of the honors program. They are involved in their campus ministry, are a theater tech, participate in a movie-watching club, and love to read sci-fi and fantasy books. Phoenix is extremely thankful for the many things they have already learned as an intern at Resurrection and looks forward to continuing to learn and serve.
The phrase “better together” has been used in a variety of ways, but I have found it to be especially true within the church. Finding community with the people I worship with has deepened my faith. As someone who grew up with the church, I have seen how knowing God allows people to create extremely strong bonds with each other.
As we see in the Scripture, there are practical reasons to find community. Together we can accomplish much more than only one could. Working together is a way that the church can make change in the world and share the love of Christ. Not only does a church community help with physical or practical needs, but it also helps develop interpersonal connection and deepen the faith of the entire community.
The people who are a part of small groups, spending time with friends, or are serving find a deeper relationship with their fellow members and God as they spend time in connection. Especially within the United Methodist tradition, where we prioritize faith, service, and connection, finding times to gather with our communities is extremely important. Whether we are focused on our church communities, our neighborhoods, work, school, or even larger groups, finding commonalities with others and lifting up our strengths will help us in all aspects of our secular and faith lives.
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* From “Bill Shankly remains the personification of Liverpool 60 years after he arrived on Merseyside“. The Independent. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
** Brent A. Strawn, study notes on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 1061 OT.
*** Click here to learn more about Resurrection’s multiple ways to build friendships.
**** David A. Hubbard, The Book of James: Wisdom That Works. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1980, p. 127.
