Love Slows DownSample

Walk with Others

One of the most important rules in mountain climbing is this: Never climb alone. There are just too many things that can go wrong when you’re hiking or climbing in the wilderness. You need the safety of having someone with you.

Never go alone is good advice for life too. No matter how strong or prepared we are, we always need others around us on the journey. King Solomon talks about this in today’s verse: “Two are better than one.” We aren’t made to walk through life alone. As an old African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, walk with others.”

When life gets challenging or difficult we tend to pull away from community and isolate ourselves. But isolation never goes well. A coal separated from the fire loses heat in a hurry. We’re the same. If we want to keep the fire and energy of our walk with God, we need to stay close to others. When we stay close to God’s community, we feel a tangible expression of God’s love.

God created us to need his love. In our world, the most tangible, visible expression of his love will typically come through people. We show God's love by loving people. You and Jesus may have it all figured out, but it’s how you live and relate with others that proves it.

If it feels lonely at the top, or you feel like people are slowing you down, there’s a good chance you’re going too fast and may need to pull back a bit. Love slows down. Anger speeds up. You can’t show others love in a hurry. Slowing down to walk with others is a great way to show love.

When life starts getting busy or overwhelming, the best thing we can do is make time with other Christians a priority. Seek community. Stay close to the warmth of relationships with others. You’ll find your anger and anxiety are replaced by love.

This plan is based on the book Love Slows Down.