This lesson teaches children that God made us to need each other, and that friends and family can help us when we are sad, tired, or in trouble. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God gave us friends and family so we are never meant to face hard things alone. Two people helping each other are stronger than one person by himself.
Memory Verse
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
(WEB)
Have the children hold up two fingers as they say the verse together. Then have them link their pinkies with a partner on the words “two are better than one,” showing that friends work better together.
The Story: Ecclesiastes 4 for Kids
A wise man named Solomon, who was a king in Israel, looked around at the world one day. He saw people being treated unfairly. Some people were crying, and no one came to comfort them. The people who did wrong had power, and the people who were hurt had no one to help.
Solomon also saw a man who worked very hard all day long. He had no brother, no son, and no friend to share his work with. He kept working and working, but he never felt happy or full. One day he asked himself, “Who am I working so hard for, if I have no one to enjoy it with?”
Solomon then thought about two people working side by side. If one of them fell down, the other could reach out and lift him back up. If two people lay close together on a cold night, they could keep each other warm. But a person who was alone would have no one to help him when he fell.
Solomon also said that a cord with three strands is hard to break. Ropes made of many strings hold tight because the strings hold each other. People are like that too. When we stick together, we are much stronger than we would be alone.
Solomon finished by saying that many people work hard and gain things, but those things do not last forever. He wanted the people listening to remember that the best things in life are the people we love and the help we give each other.
Read It Together
Ecclesiastes 4:1
Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
(WEB)
Point out that Solomon noticed people who were hurting and had no one to comfort them. Ask the children what they can do when they see a classmate who is sad or left out.
Ecclesiastes 4:10
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
(WEB)
Show the children how this verse describes a friend lifting another friend up after a fall. Explain that helping someone up is one of the best ways to show love.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
(WEB)
Talk about the picture of a three-strand cord, and explain that God is one more strand that makes a friendship even stronger. Ask the children how praying together can make a group stronger.
Talk About It
- Who is a friend who has helped you when you fell down, either in a game or in real life?
- What is one way you could help a classmate who feels lonely at school this week?
- Why do you think God made people to need each other instead of being alone?
- What makes it hard to ask for help, and how can we feel braver about it?
- How can your family be like a strong cord that holds together when things are hard?
Activity Ideas
Friendship Chain Craft
You will need strips of colored paper, tape or glue, and crayons or markers. Have each child write the name of someone who helps them on a strip, then link the strips together into a long chain. Hang the chain in the classroom or at home as a reminder that we are stronger together.
Lift Your Partner Game
Pair the children up and have them sit back to back with their arms linked. Ask them to stand up together slowly, helping each other rise without letting go. Afterward, talk about how they needed each other to get up, just like the verse describes.
Take-Home Three-Strand Braid
You will need three pieces of yarn or string for each child, tied together at the top with tape. Show the children how to braid the strands, then have them take their braid home. Encourage them to tell a family member the lesson about two being better than one and give that person a hug.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is honest about how hard life can be. Solomon describes oppression, envy, and loneliness, and he admits that work without relationship can feel empty. The main point is that God designed us for community, and that companionship, mutual help, and shared strength are gifts from him.
When teaching children, avoid making it sound like having friends guarantees that nothing bad will ever happen to them. Keep the focus on the goodness of God and the value of people helping each other, without promising that friendships will always be easy or that every lonely feeling will disappear.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for giving us friends and family who help us when we fall. Help us to be a good friend to others and to lift up those who feel alone. Thank you for being with us too, like the third strand that makes our friendships strong. Amen.
