“There Are No Lone Rangers”

“Two are better than one…for if one falls, the other will lift him up; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.” (Eccles. 4:9-10) There are no lone rangers that make it very far …. even the  real “Lone Ranger” had Tonto…. his faithful Indian guide. 

In the Christian life we need brothers and sisters to help us. Sure if the sun is always shinning, we can stand on our own…but the sun doesn’t always shine, and then what. Jesus sent the apostles out “two by two”, not alone. The Acts of the Apostles are filled with stories of the early church supporting one another. “They (Paul & Barnabas) strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts. 14:19) 

“Well Dave how often do we need to be encouraged…. every week, every month, how about every 6 months ….. “Oh yes, send me a text every year at Christmas and that should be enough……keep up the good work Dave, a box of cookies will be arriving soon…” Hmmmmmm. 

To be honest, we need constant encouragement. We need to hear from the Lord all the time…. either directly or through a brother or sister. Jesus told us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ (John 14:27-31) He knew we tended to quickly become troubled and afraid. Even the Lord needed encouragement, especially when things were tough. After the temptation in the desert, “behold angels came and ministered to him.” (Mt. 4:11) He was tired and hungry and he needed help. Jesus frequently received encouragement from his father… in times of personal prayer, at big events like his baptism, at the Transfiguration. Jesus was not a lone ranger. He continually spent time in prayer receiving encouragement from his father. 

We get battered every day and we need encouragement every day. We can find that encouragement in our personal prayer and by spending time with our spouse, our close friends, with other Christians. We especially need this encouragement when times are tough… times of sickness and trials and loss and failure. “Woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.” (Ecc.4:10)

It’s great to give and receive encouragement. It’s good to be surrounded by brothers and sisters who exude encouragement by their very lives. It keeps us on track and it brings a lot of joy. 

The Lone Ranger TV series used to end with the defeated bad guy in jail uttering “who was that masked man…. and the sheriff responding, “ I don’t know. I’ve heard him called the Lone Ranger… and from the window you hear, “Hi-Yo Silver, Away” as the Lone Ranger and Tonto ride off into the distance. 

So keep your ears open when the devil has once more been defeated through the encouragement given to you by a wonderful brother or sister. The evil one may wonder out loud,  “who was that who saved that holy man from defeat…. why that was the Holy Spirit, working thru the body of Christ…”