Not Alone

Until recently, I didn’t realize how often Paul had help writing his
letters to the churches in the New Testament. I knew that God inspired and
directed Paul to write these letters, but it never occurred to me that he
had human help too. And Scripture spells it out clearly for us!

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Skim through the first verses in 1 & 2 Corinthians, Philippians,
Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. In each of these letters,
Paul names people who helped him write: Sosthenes, Timothy, and Silas. More
than half of Paul’s letters were collaborative efforts.

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That blew my mind! But the more I think about it, the more sense it makes.
God has designed us to lean on each other and work together.

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I see this every day in my job. I work here at Keys for Kids Ministries,
editing and writing devotional content for “Unlocked.” And while my name is
listed at the end of this devotion, I didn’t write it alone. Even as I
write this first draft, the ideas and thoughts I write about have been
shaped by pastors, teachers, parents, authors, and friends. By the time
it’s published, this devotion will have been touched by a team of editors,
theological reviewers, proofreaders, and graphic designers. Every devotion
you read in this publication is a collaborative effort. And that’s
without even mentioning the donors, data processors, administrators, audio
producers, radio staff, and more.

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Jesus doesn’t want us to do life alone. As God the Son, He Himself lives in
perfect community with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus died
and rose again so He could live in union with us, His people. Jesus is wild
about community.

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It’s easy for us to believe that we have to do everything ourselves. After
all, that’s what everyone else does, right? But the thing is, that’s not
true. Nobody does anything by themselves. We’ve all had people guide us,
shape us, and come alongside us. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s good! It’s
the way God designed it!

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Leaning on others is a strength, not a weakness. And as we embrace this
truth, we learn how to better embrace Jesus. • Taylor Eising

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• Who are trusted Christians in your life you can lean on? And who can lean
on you? If nobody comes to mind, you can ask Jesus to help you identify
people in the future.

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All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1
Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

Read Verses:

1Cor.12.12-1Cor.12.27