Made for Community群体生活的造物

[Dexu Xia]

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Today's Scripture   Ecclesiastes 4:4-12

Today's Insights

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon—“the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1)—examines life as he’s lived it. He discusses human life—achievements, hard work, pleasures, and the pursuit of knowledge—to show that without God our human endeavors won’t give us a meaningful life. In chapter 4, Solomon extols the value of community. A person driven by his selfish, competitive spirit to outdo his neighbors (v. 4) is one who lives a lonely, miserable, and meaningless existence (vv. 7-8). In contrast, Solomon writes of another person, who works in collaboration with others instead of in competition. He commends the advantages of companionship in times of inadequacy and adversity. Cooperation is better because it’s mutually beneficial. As believers in Jesus, we belong to the body of Christ, the church, so that we don’t have to face life’s challenges alone. We can reach out and help each other succeed (see vv. 9-10).

Today's Devotion

When my husband, Alan, and I decided to move across the country to Philadelphia to further his education, I didn’t have a job lined up, and we had no idea how we would afford student housing. On a Sunday, shortly before we were to leave, a church acquaintance introduced us to a former student of the university Alan was to attend who knew of an affordable apartment. Then, before we left, a workmate gave me the name of a contact at a Christian ministry. God answered our prayers and gave us opportunities—including an apartment and a job—through His people. Friends and family helped us move and ushered us on with prayer.

The author of Ecclesiastes wrote about the benefits of not going through life alone: “Two are better than one” (4:9). Two get more work done, can help each other through struggles, offer companionship, and ward against danger (vv. 9-11). He went on to say, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (v. 12). A community has even greater benefits. More resources, more support.

Alan and I benefited from the community we left behind. And God helped us build a new community to help us feel at home in the big city. If you feel alone, ask God to help you find a friend, a good church, or a place to serve in a community.

Reflect & Pray

What communities are you a part of? How do you help each other?    Dear God, thank You for surrounding me with friends and family. Please help me to invite others into Your community. 

By Alyson Kieda

“三股合成的绳子不容易折断。”（传道书4:12）

 今日经文：传道书4章:4-12 节

今日洞见： 在传道书中，所罗门，那位“传道者，大卫的子孙，在耶路撒冷作王”（1:1），他审视了亲历的人生，探讨了人类生活的方方面面，成就、辛勤劳作、享乐以及对知识的追求，为了表明：若没有上帝，我们人类的一切努力都无法赋予生命真正的意义。在第四章​​中，所罗门极力推崇“群体”的价值。一个人若受自私和好胜之心的驱使，一心只想胜过邻舍（4节），那么他将过着孤独、凄苦且毫无意义的生活（7-8节）。相比之下，所罗门描述的另一个人却选择与他人协作而非相互竞争。他赞扬了在感到力不从心或身处逆境时，拥有同伴所带来的种种益处。相互合作之所以更胜一筹，是因为它能带来互惠互利的双赢局面。作为耶稣的信徒，我们属于“基督的身体”，即教会，因此我们无需独自去面对人生的种种挑战。我们可以彼此伸出援手，互相扶持，共同迈向成功（参见9-10节）。

今日灵修    当我和丈夫艾伦决定搬迁至千里之外的费城，便他可以继续深造学业时，我当时尚未找到工作，对于如何负担学生宿舍的费用更是毫无头绪。就在我们启程前不久的一个主日，教会里的一位熟人向我们介绍了一位艾伦即将就读的那所大学的校友；巧的是，这位校友正好知道有一处租金实惠的公寓。随后，在我们临行之前，我的一位同事又向我提供了一家基督教事工机构的联系人的信息。上帝垂听了我们的祷告，并通过祂的子民为我们开启了种种机遇，其中包括住房和工作的问题。亲朋好友们不仅帮我们搬家，更用祷告为我们送行，祝愿我们一路顺风。 《传道书》的作者写下了在人生旅途中不孤军奋战所带来的益处：“两个人总比一个人好”（4:9）。两个人在一起，不仅能完成更多工作，还能在遭遇困境时彼此扶持，相互作伴，并能共同抵御危险（9-11节）。他接着说道：“三股合成的绳子不容易折断”（12节）。在群体之中，我们更能得到巨大的益处，也就是说，在群体中我们能拥有更丰富的资源与更坚实的支持。 艾伦和我曾从我们所离开的那个群体中获益良多；而上帝也帮助我们建立了一个全新的群体，使我们在大都市中依然能找到家的归属感。如果你正感到孤单，不妨祈求上帝指引你，让你寻得一位知心好友、一间美好的教会，或是在某个群体中找到一处可以投身服侍的园地。

反思与祷告 你目前属于哪些群体？你们又是如何彼此扶持、互相帮助的呢？ 亲爱的上帝，感谢祢让我常有亲友环绕左右。求祢帮助我，使我能邀请更多人一同进入祢那充满爱的大家庭之中。

作者：阿利森 其达