Two are Better Than One

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Gleaning from the wisdom of Solomon, let’s examine why two are better than one.

When you parent three young boys, every event or activity requires a plan of attack. Cindy and I have found raising three boys to be so much more enjoyable when we work together. This is especially true when it comes to getting the boys ready for bed. If I had to get all three boys ready for bed by myself, it would probably take an hour. Not only does it take longer, it is much more frustrating. However, when Cindy and I work together, we get the job done much quicker and easier. Together, we can have them showered and dressed in 5 minutes. I wash the boys in the shower with me and she drives them off and puts their clothes on. We rotate on reading them stories and laying them down to sleep. Our teamwork lays the foundation for a peaceful evening together. Two are better than one when it comes to parenting.

One of the best Bible stories about the power of partnership to accomplish a work is the story of Nehemiah. Like many Jews of his time, he had been uprooted from his homeland when Persia conquered Israel centuries before Christ was born.

Nehemiah was given an easy, but potentially deadly job, of tasting wine for the king. Though he was a foreigner, he lived in the palace, spent his days at the court and had great favor with the King. If he would have been content to just hold his position in life, he would never have discovered the incredible power of partnership, and would have missed the greatest accomplishment of his life.

After learning that his people were in great trouble, and his hometown of Jerusalem was broken down and burned with fire, Nehemiah was determined to do something. After securing permission from King Artaxerxes, he set out to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem.

As he walked through the rubble, a passion burned inside to see his city restored. It must have been at this time that he realized the task was to big to do alone. He needed help from others who loved God and the city of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah gathered his fellow Hebrews and laid out his plan for rebuilding the walls. As one man they began this arduous task. As you can imagine, the rebuilding was not easy. To make matters worse, neighboring rulers opposed them and conspirators tried to stop them, but the people persevered. They worked side by side, laying stones with one hand and holding a sword in the other.

Astonishingly, the wall that had lain in ruins for years was built and restored in fifty-two days. This feat is one of the most remarkable accomplishments ever recorded in the Bible.

"It marks a big step in your development when you realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could do alone." Andrew Carnegie