We live in an individualistic culture. Many of our popular sayings reinforce this understanding. The end result is we think we need to be able to care for everything on our own. Self-reliance is the name of the game. Moses was the only one settling the disputes of the Israelites. That means one person settling the disputes of over 1.4 million people.
Jethro sees what is happening and steps in with a suggestion, let others help you. From that point forward the circle of leadership expands and Moses does not have to do it all by himself. That is the reminder in Ecclesiastes, two are better than one. Going through life on your own is no easy task, and we are not designed to go it alone. We are people of community, whether it is marriage or simply good friendships we are created to have others around us.
When it comes to marriage it seems obvious that there are now two people. Yet there is a clinging to the individual that can cause problems. For two to be better than one, the two need to be willing to allow others to help them. Marriage is a partnership that is dependent on mutuality. We are in this together and we walk together, that is mutuality. Marriage is much more than just two individuals now living together. Marriage is the joining together of two people so that the one may never be just one again.
Surrendering ourselves to the fact that we need others to get through life is the first step in experiencing the power of two being better than one. The next step is to actually accept help from someone else. Pride is what usually keeps us from realizing our need and allowing someone else to help. Pride will be a destructive force in a marriage, and in a life. Pride will result in us being alone and often not aware of how much we need another person. The third step is to remember steps one and two, and live them in our daily lives. These three will unlock the power of two being better than one.
No comments:
Post a Comment