The best way to continue the sound of City Week is to understand that it is not yours to carry alone. One of the coolest parts of City Week is that no one task is done alone. We worship together, we pray together, we evangelize together, and we cry together – for five days straight. So why is it that after City Week we try to live this life alone? When we sin, we hide it. When we’re sad, we REFUSE to let anyone else see or know about it. When there’s a difficult situation outside of our control, we don’t tell anyone else and try to just pray about it on our own. That is not how God meant for us to live. There are stories of people all over the Bible who did not do life alone and looked to other people for help often. David had Jonathan, Moses had Aaron, Naomi had Ruth, Jesus had John and Peter, Paul had Barnabas, and Shadrach had Meshach and Abednego. Even outside of the Bible you have your “dynamic duos”. Batman has Robin, Lilo has Stitch, Phineas has Ferb, Mario has Luigi, and Bluey has Bingo!

Ecclesiastes talks about the benefits that come when one person leans on another, and the power that comes from that. When opposition, stress, fear, or anxiety come, one person standing alone can be defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. Jesus said that the Lord’s yoke is easy, and the burden is light. How much easier would it be to share that burden with another person? That is the power of community and the power of companionship. These bonds are only made stronger when we make sure to put Jesus at the center of our friendships, as well as the foundation of them. If you are the person worried about sharing burdens it is important to understand that everyone deserves to have someone there for them the same way you are there for everyone else. Galatians 6 says to share one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will obey the law of Christ.

QUESTION FOR TODAY: Who in your life do you have that would be a great person to confide in and lean on? Who in your life should you stop leaning on and confiding in?

PRAY THIS:

God, thank You for all the friends I made and people I got to spend time with at City Week this year. I ask that You reveal to me people who I can trust and lean on that will look out for me. Change my heart to be more trusting with those around me, and give me the discernment to know who I should stop confiding in. Let me be someone that can be counted on! In Jesus name, Amen!

TRY THIS:

Find a person who you know will pray for you when you are attacked and struggling, who will help you get back up when you fall, will be your shoulder to cry on, and will challenge you to be better and dive deeper into your Word.

Set aside time to share your burdens and struggles with trusted friends or a leader.