Did you know that God never designed His people to live in isolation? Loneliness was never His intention for mankind, and it has actually proven to be unhealthy. In fact, recent studies have shown that there is one factor above all that contributes to longevity, and it’s not diet or exercise — the most important factor in living a long, fulfilled life is being socially, meaningfully connected to people.

For believers, this type of relationship is especially important — it is written all over the Bible. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 makes it clear how vital connection is in God’s eyes:

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 

Clearly you need to be part of a group — a church, a flock, a faith community — and these verses are critical to understanding how God calls you to live in relationship. When you’re doing life with someone else, you are both working to receive a good reward for your labor. You are not just having a good time, but you are partnering with others who are doing the work of God, contributing your finances, emotions, and prayers to something worthwhile.

Friend, this is not an optional task. Working together is necessary to help you fulfill your unique calling. Think of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

This is God’s call to all believers, but we won’t all function in the same way in it. If you are wondering how you can go to the ends of the earth or help all the people who are struggling, then community is the answer! You can do these things by becoming connected to your church and being involved in helping others, and something very powerful happens when you do that. When you connect with other believers and with your church, suddenly amazing things begin to happen in your life and all around you.

We find that promise in Psalm 133:1-2:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.

Here we find that when the children of God are dwelling together and are really connected in the partnership of the Body of Christ — not living lonely or disconnected lives — something happens very powerfully. As verse 2 describes it, “It is like precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.” The picture painted here is that when the anointing oil was poured on Aaron, it just kept pouring until it ran down his face, his beard, his clothes, and down to his feet until he was standing in a puddle of anointing.

What a powerful image! When we become connected in partnership with one another, God pours out anointing on the head, which flows down the Body of Christ, so the whole Body — unified and working together — ends up reaping that anointing!

This is a promise you can lay claim to when you’re connected to a community of faith or a ministry. When you become a coworker in the Kingdom of God through your prayers, intentions, faith, and finances, He bestows His anointing! When you partner with a ministry and dedicate yourself to contributing in the Body of Christ, the power of God will really show up in your life!

As we saw in Ecclesiastes 4:9, this commitment to helping advance God’s Kingdom also comes with great reward. We see the same promise in Philippians 4:19, which says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

In this verse, Paul was writing to the Philippians, who were financial partners with his ministry, and if you look at the previous verses, you can see that he wrote “My God shall supply all your need” as a response to the gifts he had received from them. It is the equivalent of saying, “Because of the seed you have sown to help me do what God has called me to do, here is what God will do for you.” 

That brings us to the phrase “supply all your need.” The first word, “supply,” comes from the Greek word pleroo (πληρόω), which means to fill to the point of satisfaction, to completely fill, and to make full. It depicts that which is running and spilling over, and in the context of this verse, the thing that is being so filled is “all your need.” “All” is translated from the Greek word pasan (πᾶσαν), which is all-inclusive and leaves nothing out, and “need” is a plural form of the Greek chreia (χρεία), which means deficits, needs, or shortfalls.

The Renner Interpretive Version puts this all together and gives us the full picture of this reward that comes from coworking with the Lord. It says: 

But my God will supply your needs so completely that He will eliminate all your deficiencies. He will meet all your physical and tangible needs until you are so full that you have no more capacity to hold anything else. He will supply all your needs until you are totally filled, packed full, and overflowing to the point of bursting at the seams and spilling over. 

What an amazing reward we are promised!

Unfortunately there are so many believers who aren’t in a position to lay claim to it. They come to church lonely and sit in the same seat they always sit in. They have needs in their lives, but they don’t say anything because they don’t know who to talk to or how to open up to those around them. Even though these people are going to church regularly, giving their tithe, and doing everything right, they are not connected.

If that is you, don’t stay in that place! Open yourself up to connection with others and see what God does. Start giving your time, attention, and resources to other ministries or believers to support the spread of the Gospel. When we do that, not only do we get to see the mighty power of the Lord at work, but we get to see that He will take care of all the needs we could possibly have — and that is a beautiful thing to behold!