A metaphor refers to one thing by mentioning another thing. It may provide identify hidden similarities between two ideas. This figure of speech is applied in the above proverb. It communicates strongly to anyone familiar with rope. Rope can be woven from the strength of two strands (which is better than one). Two strands are so easily unraveled that its breakdown is almost automatic.
The simplest answer about the meaning of this proverb is that community and fellowship are God-ordained. A proverb often imparts simple truths with many different applications. The truth of Ecclesiastes 4:12 may apply to relationships in all aspects of our life. Like the strength (of a three strand rope), how can Jesus be weaved into our daily relationships?
1.
Talk
with others about Him in your relationships together.
“Instead,
you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your
hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” (1
Peter 3:15, NLT)
“Your most powerful
testimony is how you treat others after the church service is over.” (www.fb.com/believingingod)
2.
Pray
with others about Him
in your
relationships together.
“Acknowledge
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed for
the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, if it be fervent.” (James
5:16, GNV)
“The most beautiful of all sights in the world is a family praying
together.”
(mybible.com)
3.
Submit
your desires to Him in your relationships
together.
“Place yourselves under each other’s
authority out of respect for Christ.” (Ephesians
5:21, GW)
“More Jesus: less drama, less selfishness, less
complaining, less bitterness, less gossip, less pride, less anger, less me.” (Anonymous)
4.
Worship with others about Him in your relationships together.
“Come, let’s worship him and bow down. Let’s kneel before the Lord, who made us.” (Psalm
95:6, NCV)
“Isn’t it a comfort to
worship a God we cannot exaggerate?” (Francis Chan)
5.
Serve with others for Him in your
relationships together.
“He that is the
greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew
23:11, DRA)
“Serving God is the greatest
adventure in the world.” (Anonymous)
“On
my bad days, I seek You. On my good days, I thank You. On my great days, I praise
You, but every day I need You, Thank You, God, for always being here for me.” (curiano.com)[i] |
| Three Strand Rope |
[i] Inspired
by the sermon “The Jesus-Centered Relationship: Weaving Jesus into Your
Relationship” (Installment one) Sunday, October 15, 2017 Pastor Dave
Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.
Sources
used:
·
“Ecclesiastes 4:12 A Cord of Three Strands Is Not
Quickly Broken”
(https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/2397/ecclesiastes-412-a-cord-of-three-strands-is-not-quickly-broken)
·
“Metaphor” from Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment