Three strand cord…….

“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
   If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
   Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
  Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”.  Ecc. 4:9-12 NIV

God’s purpose in a relationship is to help us grow, to purify us, to build us up, to make us strong, and to give us a unity that is unshakeable.   He wants us to be able to hold up each other’s hands.   He wants us to learn to rejoice when the other rejoices and to weep when the other weeps.   He longs for us to strip off the masks we wear and to let our imperfections be exposed for then He can deal with them and set us free.

We should ask the Holy Spirit to help us choose the right people in our lives, those He wants and those we can trust.  

Don’t pick people like the ones described in Prov. 6:16-19; “ the proud, a lair, hands that kill innocent people, a mind that thinks up wicked plans, the evil hearted, a witness who tells one lie after another, and someone who stirs up trouble among friends”.   Be very careful of those who manipulate with their charm and flattery, their motive is one of destruction.

Choose to walk with those who are wise so the result is growth in righteousness.  The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy. (Js. 3:17-18)

Transparency makes us vulnerable----we can hide nothing.   We need to be sensitive, to have hearts that are soft and open that can be wounded by personal sin.   We have to be willing to be shown that we are wrong.  There is a risk to being transparent and vulnerable—we can get badly hurt if this relationship is abused by those we walk with.   But if we really desire to walk in the light with one another, we will work through these things and come to a place of healing and trust. 

God can use those we are in accountability with as peacemakers in our lives as they discern the things we are struggling with and speak truth which brings peace.