Freedom from Futility

The wise man from Ecclesiastes gives us some excellent advice. “There is one alone, without companion; he has neither son nor brother, yet there is no end to all his labors, nor is his eye satisfied with riches, but he never asks, ‘For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?’ This also is vanity and a grave misfortune. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will life up his companion but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.” (Ecclesiastes 4:8-12) 

It is vain for us to try to live life alone.

1. Future

“He never asks, ‘For whom do I toil?’” The person who chooses to live alone must live a life without reflection. 

They can’t answer the hard questions of life. Why am I working so hard? One day our labor will cease, and we will leave everything we have gained to someone else. We can’t take it with us. It is vanity to leave everything to strangers.  Strong covenant relationships are what make life worth living.

2. Fruitful

“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.” The person who chooses to live alone must live a life without profit. 

Unity multiplies our success. There is a synergy which comes from unity. “How can one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had surrendered them?” (Deuteronomy 32:30) Those who live in unity encourage each other, and encouragement empowers us to accomplish more than we could ever do alone. 

3. Failure

“Woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” The person who chooses to live alone must live a life without encouragement. 

Failure is always a possibility, “if they fall.” But if we live alone it’s not a question of “if” it will happen? No, the question changes to “when it will happen? 

This a subject no one enjoys talking about but sooner or later each of us must deal with it.  None of us are perfect and one day everyone will need someone to help them through difficult days. Unity protects us from falling. We should never attempt to climb great mountains alone. The danger of falling is too great. 

4. Fellowship

“How can one be warm alone?” A person who chooses to live alone must live a life without refreshment. 

Loners are cold people. God never intended us to live alone. Have you ever tried to get a good night’s rest in a room full of strangers? It’s impossible to sleep well in strange places because every noise startles us. We rest best when we are with those we love. When we know we are surrounded by family and friends we can relax because we know we are surrounded by love. The older we become, the more we experience the need for rest. Our youthful energy is gone, and it takes longer to recover from hard work. If we are going to live a fulfilled life, we must build covenant relationships which enable us to rest and recover.

5. Fight

“Though one may be over-powered by another, two can withstand him.” The person who chooses to live alone must live a life without protection.

We don’t like to think about it, but there are evil people who if given the opportunity would attack and hurt us. There is something broken in our world where insects bite, and animals, attack. This world is not heaven. There are people who because of their own personal problems attempt to overpower us. 

Being in unity with the right people is a key to victory. Unity empowers us over those who hate us. The weak are the most vulnerable, but there is protection which comes by being surrounded by those who love us. They become a wall of defense and we can avoid many problems simply by good strong relationships.

Good Relationships are the Key to Success!