If you’ve followed my Instagram account for very long, you know that our dog Jessie insists on daily walks.
On a beautiful spring morning this year, I was on the last stretch of our walk when I caught sight, out of the corner of my eye, of a turtle turned upside down in the middle of the street. He needed my help.
When turtles are on their backs, breathing becomes difficult because their internal organs press down on their lungs. They’re more vulnerable to predators, at higher risk for heat-related problems, and it takes a great deal of energy to flip themselves back over. While a turtle might muster the strength to succeed, more often than not, it will die trying.
I promptly scooped him up and set him safely on the grass.
Like turtles, life sometimes leaves us on our backs. Our path is filled with transitions—some joyful, others turbulent. We wrestle with challenges in our singleness, marriages, parenting, and aging. Just like the turtle needed support, God’s design has always been for us to be in fellowship with one another.
This truth came alive to me during a Bible study not long after that turtle rescue. Several women shared deeply personal prayer requests. As a group, we prayed and spoke words of encouragement drawn from our gifts and experiences. Had those women not been willing to be vulnerable, they would have missed the opportunity to be lifted up by the body.
Think about how the human body works—each part relies on the others for daily function. In the same way, God designed His people to be part of one body, drawing strength from one another’s gifts.
Romans 12:4–5 explains it beautifully: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” With Jesus as the head, the body of believers is called to come together, lifting one another up—helping those who need to be turned back over.
God created us to walk alongside and support one another, to help each other back on our feet. In Galatians 6:2 we are urged to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” His design was never for us to carry our struggles alone.
So, what are some tangible ways we can support one another in spirit, soul, and body?
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Ask others to pray for you.
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Spend time in God’s Word and with fellow believers to discern the support you need. Godly advice should never contradict His Word.
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Share scripture with those seeking wisdom from God.
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Seek wise counsel for emotional challenges so decisions can align with God’s will.
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Allow others to help—cry with you, laugh with you, sit with you, run errands for you.
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Join a small group of believers to form relationships that will encourage you in your walk.
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Prepare meals for those in life transitions—a new baby, a new job, illness, or grief.
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Offer financial help to someone in need.
At Pentecost, when Peter addressed the crowd, many came to believe. Those new believers devoted themselves to one another. They shared meals, prayed together, and provided for each other by selling possessions and giving to anyone in need. They met regularly in the temple courts, shared joys and sorrows, and praised God together. Scripture tells us they enjoyed the favor of the people, and the Lord added to their numbers daily (Acts 2:42–47).
This passage is so beautiful to me. For the past four years, I’ve been intentionally pursuing these kinds of relationships. They take time, but the investment is worth it. I’m sure those early believers faced struggles, but because of their devotion, God grew their community.
We were never meant to remain stuck on our backs. In His goodness, God gave us one another. Just as He saw Adam’s need for a helper in Eve, He hasn’t left us to walk through life alone. He’s gifted each of us uniquely, and when we come together, we all benefit—and the gospel moves forward.
