June 2 -- Ecclesiastes 4:12a

And though a man might prevail

against one who is alone,

two will withstand him—

a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12a

^ESV

 

Fighting and prevailing. Toby Keith sings about it in his song: As Good as I Once Was.

 

I heard David yell across the room,
Hey Buddy, how bout a helping hand?

I said … Dave!
I ain't as good as I once was,
My how the years have flown,
But there was a time,
Back in my prime,
When I could really hold my own,
But if you want a fight tonight,
Guess those boys don't look all that tough,
I ain't as good as I once was,
But I'm as good once, as I ever was.

 

Though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. That’s half of Toby Keith’s logic. (And the whole logic of friendship in Ecclesiastes 4:12.)

 

But what’s the rest of Toby Keith’s logic? He sings, “I ain’t as good as I once was.”

 

How many of you can echo that lyric. Once we hit about 25 or 30, we all begin to physically decline. (Try forty or fifty … and it begins to seem like a free fall. And folks in their seventies and eighties keep telling me, “Growing old ain’t for sissies!”)

 

And yet, here’s the irony. I’m better now than I ever was! Why? How? Well … it’s surely not physically! But it’s relationally.

 

My marriage – closer than it ever was – gives me a profound strength.

Second, I’m strong because of my friendships. I have an incredibly family … even beyond my nuclear family! And just as we support others, they support us.

Finally, I don’t have to just cry, “Hey Buddy, how bout a helping hand?” I can cry, “Hey, Lord-Savior-Friend, how bout your help?” I’ve learned to trust powerfully in him.

 

I am not alone.

 

Toby Keith may sing, “I ain’t as good as I once was.” Those with faith and friendships and strong marriages too can hopefully join with me in singing, “I am better than I once was!”

 

Question: Are you a cowboy who tries to go it alone, or are you investing in the strength of friendships and faith?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t long

for the good old days,

but sings instead a Beetles’ song:

“It’s getting better all the time!”