Tough Stuff

Tough Stuff

Q: What is not easily broken?

• a. a triple-braided cord
• b. a new rope
• c. iron

There is a fable about an old man who is ready to die. He calls his three sons together to give them some final advice. The sons often quarrel and can’t seem to get along. The man knows that if the sons can’t get along, they’ll soon lose all the property and goods he’d worked hard to get.

The old man has his servant bring a bundle of sticks bound together. The old man gives each of his sons a chance to break the bundle of sticks, but none of them can do it. Then the man tells his sons to untie the bundle and each take a stick and break it. They easily break the sticks.

The man explains to his sons that if they stay united like the bundle of sticks, they will prosper and do well. But if they don’t work together, they’ll soon be in poverty.

What the man told his sons is what Solomon said thousands of years ago in the book of Ecclesiastes: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

By yourself, it’s easy to give in to temptation or go along with the crowd, but with other Christians surrounding you, you have more strength. Even better, with Jesus as part of your braided cord, you have the strength you need to stand up for those things that are right.

For You

If you feel like you’re standing alone, look for others around you who share your faith, and be sure to ask God to help you stand for what’s right every day.

Answer: a

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.   Ecclesiastes 4:12

(The Whole Story: Ecclesiastes 4:7-12)