True Friends

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NASB)

Two are better than one….for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion, but woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

You may or may not be a Petra fan.  Petra is a Christian hard rock band, popular in the 80s and 90s.  I wasn’t a great fan, but had some attraction to them because they were from Fort Wayne, IN.  One of their popular songs was “Two Are Better Than One” and here are the words:

You can call me up in the night, I will pray till you win the fight
We're more than friends, We walk together, Through any weather, We sharpen each other

Chorus
I'll be there when you call, Lift you up when you fall, Two are better than one
You will pray when I'm weak, Help me back on my feet, Two are better than one
Two are better than one

When I start to cross the line, You just seem to read my mind, And then you bust me, Then turn around and trust me, Come to the rescue, I'll do the same for you. Repeat Chorus

I don't want to go solo, It's always better with two, I just want someone to lift me up, To pray and help me get through.  Repeat Chorus

Each person needs another who can do what this verse teaches and the Petra group sings about.  You need someone who you can call in the middle of the night, who will pray with you as long as necessary, who is your friend no matter what.  You need someone who isn’t afraid to be honest with you and tell you when you are going astray.  And you need someone who is there during your darkest hours, your most troubling moments, when you are on the edge of despair, and simply be your unconditional friend. 

To have a friend to lift you up when you are down is serious business.  Note that the Scripture says that it is woe to the one who falls and does not have someone to help him, to lift him up.  If you are someone who thinks that you can face any and all aspects of your life without anyone else’s help, think again.  You are violating the spirit of this verse. 

Just this past week, listening a 60s station, the Beatles song, “With a Little Help From My Friends” was playing and I thought about the fact that as I enter the final years of my life, how important it is and will be to have friends.  As Ringo Starr sang,

“Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends, Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends, Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends”,

Oh how true these words are.  Josh Groban's song “You Raise Me Up” also relates to these words from Ecclesiastes. 

Who is your companion in life?  To whom are you a companion?  Who raises or lifts you up?  Who can you raise up today?