TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4:9a
Read: Ecclesiastes 4:8-12
Listen: Ecclesiastes 4
TODAY’S MESSAGE
“Again I saw something meaningless…there was a man all alone” (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8a). The author of Ecclesiastes recognizes something innate in all of us. He identifies the need for relationship and connection. Life alone is meaningless. Life together is better.
Real relationships are just as crucial today as they were 3,000 years ago in ancient Israel. Technology today makes it easy to have faux connections. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other apps allow us to connect loosely to everybody while deeply connecting with nobody. We feel like we are staying up to date on other’s lives while we scroll, but we’re really only seeing what they want us to see. We only allow people to view the parts of our life we choose to reveal in return. There is no real relationship. A lack of real connection is a significant challenge in our world today.
It shouldn’t be this way in the Jesus community. In John 13:34, Jesus tells his followers to love one another. Loving one another requires relationship. This relationship is essential. We are Jesus’ strategy for growing, serving, comforting and encouraging each other.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Evaluate the effects of technology on your relationships. Consider whether you have deep relationships or if you have settled for surface-level relationships with those you follow online. Think about whether you are more interested in the characters from your favorite TV show than the people you see every day. Choose a small step you can take to limit the adverse effects of technology and connect with someone instead.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
