We Need Each Other

There was a couple in a church I once served who were going through a very difficult time in their marriage. Around that same time, they stopped coming to worship.

One day, I ran into the wife at the grocery store. She started explaining why they hadn’t been attending but then stopped herself and admitted, “The truth is, I can’t keep pretending that everything’s okay when it’s not.”

How heartbreaking that she felt she had to pretend in order to belong to the church. It’s sad because Jesus made it clear that He didn’t come for the righteous—for those who pretend to have it all together. No, He came for the rest of us—for those who know we are not perfect.

It’s also sad because I thought of all the other people in that church who had struggled in their own relationships. So many of them would have sat with this couple, supported them, and given them strength and hope—no matter what happened in their marriage.

When life is hard, we often have a tendency to pull away from community—to withdraw and try to cope alone. But isolation leaves room for bitterness and cynicism to grow. Alone, it’s easy to lose perspective.

Scripture teaches us that God created us to live in community. We need each other in order to be healthy and whole.

My prayer for you today is that you would continue to find ways to stay connected with others—people who love you unconditionally, who care for you but also challenge you to grow. And may you love them in the same way.

Let us pray: Lord, we can only begin to imagine the depths of Your love for us. You created us all uniquely, yet You have called us to belong to one another—to care for each other and work together to make this world a better place. Give us the courage to share the deepest, most valuable parts of our lives with Your people. Nourish us, strengthen us, and then send us out as Your servants. In Jesus’ name. Amen.