© Amy S. Lewis 2009

Horses are herd animals. They are most comfortable around at least one other horse. Without a pal, they become frightened, panicked and anxious. They’ll pace, run, buck and snort if their pasture mates are taken away.

Horses in a herd look out for one another. They scratch each others’ backs; they stand close to one another swishing their tails to fend off flies, and they alert one another when danger may be near (sometimes needlessly so).

We, too, need help from others. We need help with projects too big for one person. We need someone to talk to when life doesn’t go our way. We want to celebrate good news with someone. Life is richer, fuller, when we’re in relationships.

Ecc. 4:9 (NLT): Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

To our do-everything-for-ourselves society, it may seem to be a shortcoming to rely on others. We may think it unnecessary to be in relationships. We certainly can avoid conflict more readily if we go through life without other people in our lives. And yet, our greatest joy and fulfillment comes from interaction with others. Parents beam with pride at a child’s accomplishment. People realize great satisfaction when they help a neighbor, friend or coworker with a project that would be impossible alone.

Our Christian brothers and sisters are a special community to us. They pray for us and turn us toward God when we wander from God’s truth. They help us grow in our relationship with Christ. They help us understand how God may be working in our lives.

Do you have this kind of community? If you don’t, I encourage you to seek one out. Who can you turn to when trials come? Who can help you understand how God may be using a challenging situation in your life to refine your character? Who can “watch your back” for impending danger or make life a little more comfortable by fending off the “flies”? Horses aren’t truly at ease if they’re in a pasture alone either and neither are we.

In the Bible we see great friendships and nurturing relationships: Naomi and Ruth; Ester and Mordecai; Jesus and his disciples; Paul and Timothy; Moses and Aaron; David and Jonathan. The greatest example is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Even our Almighty Father models relationship and interdependency in His triune nature. He can’t live without relationships and neither can we.

Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT): Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

Questions for reflection:
1. Who is your primary community – the people you turn to for support? What do they add to your life? What would life be like without them?

2. How can you help others pursue a life of godliness? Who can you help along their path?

3. Who may be wandering lost that you could invite into your community? How will you reach out to them today?

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I realized this week the strength that can come from a community that surrounds us. My family has been brought closer as we mourn together. All the thoughts and prayers of my friends and Christian brothers and sisters have helped us sense God’s love, comfort and strength around us. Thank you for being my “pasture mates.”