We Need A Big Club

By Alan Smith

    A hunter was walking through the jungle when he found a huge dead elephant with a pygmy standing beside it.
    Amazed, he asked, "Did you kill that?"
    The pygmy said, "Yes."
    The hunter asked, "How could a little bloke like you kill a huge beast like that?"
    "I killed it with my club."
    The astonished hunter asked, "How big is your club?"
    The pygmy replied, "There's about 60 of us."
    There is great value in having a "club" of people who will fight with you, work with you, and be there for you when you need assistance.  Solomon put it this way:
    "If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself?  Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break." (Ecclesiastes 4:11-12)
    God obviously knew that we need that support as we seek to follow Him.  Think about it -- why did God establish the church?  We don't need the church to worship God -- we can worship God anywhere and at any time.  We don't even need the church to serve God -- I can serve God in a multitude of ways on my own.
    But what I do need the church for is to provide support, encouragement and strength as I walk the Christian path.  I need a "club" to help me do battle against Satan.  I need people around me who will help me to see ways that I'm not reflecting the image of Jesus Christ, and encourage me to move in that direction.  I need brothers and sisters in the Lord who will show me what love is and teach me to learn to love as well.  I need people who can rejoice with me when things are going great and cry with me when my world is shattered.  I need the church!
    Thank you, Lord, for surrounding me with a big "club" of people who are such a blessing to me!  I can't imagine having to travel this journey alone and I'm so thankful that you saw the need and met it long before I even realized there was a need.  In the name of Jesus who unites us in this body, amen.
    Have a great day!

- Alan Smith, author of the popular "Thought For Today," and minister for the Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, NC, may be contacted at alansmith.servant@gmail.com