Ecclesiastes 4:9 – Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 – And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Two are better than one.  This is definitely true in any good marriage or any good friendship.  There is no way we are going to be spiritually on top of the world in our walk with God all the time.  There have been key times in my marriage where I have helped my wife through things or helped her grow.  There have also been times when I was pretty backsliden and my wife has helped me make good decisions that affect us to this day.  As a result we have a good reward for our labor.  The Lord has blessed our family and each other’s walk with God.

Sometimes the enemies of life come in.  When you have a confidant to talk things through with and make a plan of attack on how to handle things spiritually, you can make wise decisions.  You also need someone who will stand by you in a fire fight.  There is increased strength of combining two together.  It becomes a threefold cord.  When I think of a threefold cord, I think of braided three-strand hemp rope.  When you put tension on a braided rope like this, the strands tighten around each other.  There is more strength in the rope and it can hold more weight. By braiding the rope into three strands, the fibers are able to distribute the load more evenly between themselves.

They say there is strength in numbers.  That is partially true.  Having more people to do a project is only good if they are all working toward the same goal.  A team of two, such as a husband and wife, that are on the same page spiritually will be able to accomplish a lot for God.  Their strength is more than just their individual strengths alone.  Together they should be able to bear the weight of themselves as well as several children.  They should be able to help each other be more godly.  They should be able to guard each other’s paths.  The same is true of a good, godly Christian friend.  It is so important to be equally yoked with like minded believers.  Your spouse should be your best friend if you are married.

So, are you helping someone to be better because of your work together in the Lord?  Are you both better for your friendship?  If not, maybe you need to put more into the relationship.  It is critical to your and their spiritual strength.