When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He answered with clarity: love God with all your heart. Then He added a second commandment closely tied to it—love your neighbor as yourself. Some scholars suggest that love for God reveals itself most clearly through love for others. It is striking, then, that Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 approaches relationships from a very practical perspective. Solomon writes from life “under the sun,” not from a mountaintop of revelation, yet his observations align beautifully with God’s design. He urges readers to stop viewing people as objects or rivals and instead recognize their deep need for one another. Life functions better when shared. Wisdom suggests that companionship, cooperation, and mutual care enrich daily living in ways ambition and isolation never can.
Solomon begins with productivity: “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil.” Shared labor brings more strength, creativity, and endurance, but it also introduces an intangible quality often called synergy. Sometimes the simple equation of one plus one produces a result that feels surprisingly greater than two. Then Solomon moves to companionship in life’s inevitable stumbles: “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.” Falling is not hypothetical. It is part of the human experience. A simple example illustrates the point. When Kathy’s car lost its transmission near 156th and Fort, modern conveniences failed to appear immediately. There were no flashing lights or helpful tow trucks on standby. She called my brother Dave, who lived nearby. He arrived, stayed with her, and waited until help finally came. Solomon would have appreciated that moment. Shared burdens become lighter when someone stands beside us, even if the only tools available are patience and good company.
The New Testament deepens this vision by showing that Jesus Himself forms the strongest bond among people. He commands, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Paul echoes this teaching: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Christ’s love is not merely theoretical; it is sacrificial and practical. He entered human need, walked alongside the weary, and carried burdens no one else could lift. Through Him, relationships find their deepest meaning. Life under the sun can feel solitary at times, but life shaped by His love reveals that companionship is not accidental. It is woven into God’s design for human flourishing and sustained by the grace that binds hearts together.