Flint Central High School Soccer Team: Stronger Together

Focus Scripture:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 

When I was a junior at Flint Central High School in the 1986–1987 school year, I was part of a ragtag soccer team that no one expected much from. We weren’t the most polished, we didn’t have the biggest stars, and honestly, our chances of making headlines were slim. Some of us eventually played college soccer but there were better teams that year, heading into the pre-season. Yet something unexpected happened that year. 

Game after game, we got better. We learned to encourage one another, push past mistakes, and work as one. By the end of the season, our team had made it all the way to the State Regionals. Suddenly, we were on television, featured in the Flint Journal, and the pride of our school. How did a group of underdogs achieve something so remarkable? It wasn’t luck. It was because we worked together. We supported each other. No one tried to be the whole chain, we each became a link, and together we formed something unbreakable. 

Scripture reminds us that “two are better than one.” Just as my soccer team discovered, we are stronger when we link ourselves together. Jesus understood this truth when He sent out His disciples two by two (Mark 6:7), knowing that connection brings encouragement, accountability, and courage. 

If we try to live like solitary chains, self-contained and unwilling to connect, we miss out on God’s design for fellowship. But when we see ourselves as links, we realize our purpose and strength come through unity. 

Life Application: 

Being a “link” in God’s chain means more than just being connected to others, it means being intentional in how we love, serve, and strengthen the people around us. Every day offers us opportunities to live out that calling, often in quiet, ordinary moments that carry eternal weight. 

It might start with something as simple as an encouraging word. Think about how many times someone’s kind text, a handwritten note, or even a smile at the right moment has lifted your spirit. Encouragement doesn’t have to be elaborate; it just has to be genuine. A few words of grace can pull someone back from despair, reminding them that they are seen and valued. When we take time to build others up, we become a living reflection of Christ’s compassion in a world that can often feel cold and indifferent. 

Prayer is another way we link ourselves to others. There is power in standing in the gap for friends, family, coworkers, or even strangers we’ll never meet. When we pray for someone, we invite heaven to touch their lives. I’ve learned that the people I lift up in prayer sometimes experience breakthroughs I’ll never know about, but God does. And even when nothing seems to change immediately, prayer changes us; it softens our hearts and keeps us tethered to God’s mission of love. 

Being a link also means offering practical help. It might mean taking a meal to a neighbor, staying up late to listen to a friend in crisis, or helping a coworker shoulder a heavy workload. These acts may seem small, but they echo eternity. In Galatians 6:2, Paul reminds us, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” When we show up for people in tangible ways, we are showing them what Jesus looks like in human form. 

Sometimes, though, being a link isn’t about giving, it’s about receiving. That can be harder. We often pride ourselves on independence, on being the helper, not the helped. But vulnerability is also part of God’s design for community. When we allow others to help us, we strengthen the chain by admitting our need and giving others the chance to serve. It’s in those moments that we experience the beauty of mutual grace. 

Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” That love isn’t passive, it’s active, living, and contagious. This week, look at your relationships. Are you living like a lone chain, trying to carry the weight alone? Or are you being a link that connects, supports, and lifts others up? 

Being a link doesn’t require perfection; it simply requires presence. It’s about showing up when others need you, trusting that God’s strength flows through your willingness. When we link our lives to others in love, the whole chain becomes stronger, and the light of Christ shines brighter through us all. 

Closing Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that we are stronger together than apart. Help us to be faithful links in the chain of Your love, encouraging and supporting those around us. Give us eyes to see needs, hearts willing to serve, and courage to ask for help when we need it. May our lives reflect the unity and compassion You call us to share. In Jesus’ name, Amen.