READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12

There are times in life when our need for others becomes clear. If you try to take on a big project, you may quickly realize that you need to ask for help. When trying to learn something new, you probably know that you need to ask an expert for advice if you want to do it right.

We can think about following Jesus in a similar way. Like accomplishing a big project or learning a new skill, learning more about the gospel, the Bible, who God is, and how to walk in obedience to Him can feel overwhelming. None of us can do everything ourselves, and God knows this! He invites us to ask for help. We don’t have to be ashamed to ask for help or advice. As Christians, we’re meant to encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Sometimes the best thing any of us can do is seek advice from someone else. It’s good to get a trusted Christian’s opinion and learn from them. The Bible talks about this frequently in the book of Proverbs. For example, Proverbs 19:20 says “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” And Proverbs 12:15 says it even more strongly: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”

In addition to asking for advice, we can also ask for help doing the task before us. Like it says in Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” God has given all of us different gifts and abilities, and working together with someone who has different gifts from you can make the task easier— and the result better.

God graciously provides us with the help we need, often through other people. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, He has made you part of His people, the church. We can rely on one another and seek God together. We can pray and ask our loving God to guide us and help us know what to do and to give us the help we need.

So let’s remember, it’s great to get together with other Christians. We can learn a lot from each other as we encourage each other in our walks with Jesus. • Bethany Acker

• Who is a Christian in your life you’ve learned a lot from? Consider thanking this person and letting them know what they mean to you. If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.

• Have you been able to encourage someone in their walk with Jesus? What was it like?

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I [Jesus] am there among them.” Matthew 18:20 (NLT)