A Cord of Three Strands 成为三股合成的绳子
“If either of them falls down, one can help the other up… A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Author: Rev Ng Eng Keng
I received salvation in 1979 and it has been 41 years since. Through these times, there had been ups and downs. There was even a time when I did not go to church at all. But I am thankful because God put brothers and sisters who loved me by my side, and when I am in rough waters, they become my help and my encouragement!
We all need friends to accompany us through life. This is especially so in the current pandemic situation. We would have realized the importance of having friends in our life by now! Likewise, we will also need spiritual elders, and brothers & sisters in Christ as our guide and spiritual companion so that we can grow in Christlikeness. No matter what kind of challenges we meet physically or spiritually, these people by our side are the ones who can provide timely help to lend us a hand.
The scripture used the analogy of a “chord” to illustrate this principle. The ability to withstand stress for a single strand is miles apart from a cord of three strands. If a Christian chooses to face the world all by himself, it will be a very lonely and dangerous journey. Of course, we need to rely on strength that comes from God to meet life’s challenges, but God also puts other Christians by our side to become each other’s support in our spiritual walk!
Dear brothers and sisters, in Jesus’ teaching, we are shown that church life is not built upon “individuals” but upon “communities”. Therefore, I encourage all of us to not hide in a corner by your own but rather, intentionally and actively assimilate into a small group or a fellowship. Let us grow spiritually together and face life’s challenges together as we get involved in our spiritual communities!
“如果一个跌倒，另一个可以把他的同伴扶起来……三股合成的绳子，不容易扯断.”
作者：黄永庆牧师
我自1979年信主至今已经41年。在这过程中，生命有起有落，甚至也曾经有一段时间，没有去教会。但我要感恩，因为神把一些关心我的弟兄姐妹放在我旁边，以至于当我软弱时，他们成为我的帮助与鼓励！
在生活中，我们都需要朋友的陪伴。特别最近因为疫情的关系，大家应该更能够感受到朋友的重要。属灵生命的成长也不例外，我们也需要有属灵的长者与弟兄姐妹，成为我们的引导与陪伴。无论我们遇到生活中的困难或属灵上的难题，身旁的这些人，就能够及时的伸出援手，拉我们一把。
经文中藉着“绳子”来说明这个道理。一条绳子的承受力量与由三条绳子组成的承受力量是有着非常大的差别。基督徒若只是靠自己一个人去面对这个世界，那是非常孤单与危险的。当然，我们需要依靠从神而来的力量去面对生活中的挑战，但神也藉着在我们身旁的基督徒，成为我们生命成长，彼此的扶持与依靠！
亲爱的弟兄姐妹，在耶稣的教导中，让我们看到教会生活不是以“个人”为基础，而是以“群体”为基础。因此我鼓励大家，不要自己一个人“孤孤单单”的躲在一个角落，乃是主动的融进一个小组、一个团契。好让我们能够在群体的磨合中，一起成长、一起面对生命当中的挑战！