Our burdens can be too heavy if we carry them on our own.
Elijah was a loner. He killed 850 pagan prophets single-handedly. Then he went off – alone – and declared: “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty … I am the only one left …” (1 Kings 19:10).
God had to remind him that he had 7,000 other reservists on standby, plus an able deputy named Elisha.
Compare Elijah to Nehemiah, who was distraught when he heard that Jerusalem was in ruins.
He said to God (Neh 1:11): ‘Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.’
He knew he wasn’t the only person praying. And when he arrived in Jerusalem, he inspected the ruins with … ‘a few others’ (Neh 2:11).
Prophets are usually loners. It comes with the job description.
But they don’t have to be alone. Elijah’s solitary attitude led him to the brink of suicide and the end of his ministry.
In contrast, Nehemiah worked with others at every stage of his mission. Builders usually do.
Which type are you? Both can learn from each other.