Brotherhood of Believers

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11
⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ¹⁰ If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the importance of having a brotherhood of believers that we can depend on surrounding us. This passage shows that God wants us to have fellowship with others who follow him. Not because its fun or because they like the same things as us, but because they hold the same belief in Jesus Christ as our savior. So where there are two who believe there is strength.

So why are we so quick to judge our brothers in Christ? Is it because our human nature desires for us to be better than others around us? I know that recently I've been catching myself thinking negatively about the people around me. I judge them for things that I honestly don't even know much about! Romans 2:1 says this:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

I think its common for the devil to use our pride and self-worth to cripple us. He tries to tell us that we know everything better than the person next to us. It is SO important for us to dwell on scripture and be reminded day by day that these thoughts are not of God. It is his will for his believers to be united. Jesus says this in Mark 3:24-25:

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

So it is made pretty clear in scripture that keeping our relationships with our fellow believers strong and un-corrupted is important! Don't let gossip or petty arguments get in the way. If you're feeling like you are judging your friends unjustly, pray for God to remove that sinful tendency from you! Your relationships will thrive and God will bless them.