One Another

Prov 13:14 NIrV) The teaching of wise people is like a fountain that gives life. It turns those who listen to it away from the jaws of death.

This morning we continue our series, In this verse Solomon reminds us that we need the teaching of the wise. We must all learn from those that have gone before us. "None of us is as smart as ALL of us!" The point is that we need each other. It takes humility to acknowledge the fact that we can't do it all by ourselves. Even when it comes to our life's purpose, God places people in our path that He expects us to learn from. If we allow ego or naïveté to fool us into thinking that we don't need others, we will never arrive at God's desired destination for our lives. What Solomon is teaching is congruent with all of scripture.

If you read the Bible it won't take you long to come across verses like, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed" (Ecc 4:9), that help drive home the fact that we need others to maximize our purpose and potential. The term "each other" appears 109 times in the Bible in verse like: "Keep on loving each other as brothers" (Heb 13:1) and "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). The term "one another" appears 75 times in the Bible in verse like: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34), "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

John Maxwell, We had to read this book for Bible College that was taught by Pastor Rand Estrada in his book, "17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork" said, "One is too small a number to achieve greatness." He calls this "The Law of Significance." His point being that nothing truly significant can be achieved by just one person. Even when one person makes it to the top of Mount Everest, they did not make it there without a team of people behind them.

So if you are going to become all that God desires for you to be, it will require the wisdom and support of others. However, you must be careful to only learn from those that are walking in Godly wisdom. While Solomon teaches us here that the teaching of the wise gives life and keeps us from the jaws of death, the teaching of fools could actually lead us to destruction. In the 20th verse of this same chapter Solomon said
"Anyone who walks with wise people grows wise. But a companion of foolish people suffers harm." So what does this mean?

A few things:

1. You need others: Never allow pride to fool you into thinking that you can do it all by yourself.

2. You must be selective when choosing friends and mentors: Both wisdom and foolishness can be transferred by association. Choose the wrong people and you will eventually head down the wrong road.

3. Seek to give back: One of the greatest benefits of being mentored is so that you can develop into a mentor yourself. If you continually learn from the wise, eventually you will become wise. Once you do, God will setup divine appointments for you to pour into others, the things that others have poured into you. The student honors his teacher when he becomes a teacher himself.

Father, I know that I don't know it all and I appreciate all the wise men and women You have placed in my path. I declare, by faith, that I will maximize my purpose and potential by learning from all those You desire for me to learn from. I submit to wise counsel and I become wise myself. Once I do, I will honor the investment You and others have made in my life by seeking to pour into others the goodness that has been poured into me. Thank You Father for teaching me to remain humble, teachable, and always willing to BE a blessing to others. In Jesus' name. Amen!