Country music legend Kenny Rogers stated that he always sang better when he sang with someone else. When pressed to explain, he said (paraphrasing), “Say you were to go out and run the 100-meter dash. You would run as fast as you could. However, if they put someone on the track with you, someone who was a little bit faster, you would probably run harder to try and beat them. That is what always happened when I sang with someone else. For example, I would go in and put down my vocal track and think it was good. Then, Dolly Parton would go in and do her part, and it would be so much better than mine that I would go back and re-record my vocals. She would listen to mine and decide that she wanted to re-do hers, and she would get better. Of course, in a live performance, we would play off each other. I can sing alone, but everyone sings better in a duet!”
It is tempting to live independently. It is common to think, “I do not need anyone!” After all, relationships are a hassle. They require compromise and accommodation to the wants and needs of others. Decisions become more difficult when more people are involved.
However, as Kenny pointed out, we can never become who we are supposed to be without the influence of and interaction with others. We need the input and insight that others bring. We need to see things from perspectives other than our own. The hassle of relationships is also their blessing. They force us out of our selfish ways and cause us to grow in ways we would not otherwise.
Friends are not optional. Surface-level acquaintances are not good enough. We must develop deep relationships that can shape, change, and form us.
We are always better together!
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
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