Take a guess how many times the phrase “one another” appears in the Bible. You may be surprised to learn the answer is 448 times—at least, in the King James Version! Almost half of those, or 214 occurrences, are in the New Testament. For example, no less than 16 times in the New Testament we’re told to “Love one another.”

But the variety in the commands is amazing. We’re told to submit to one another, to accept one another, to speak the truth to one another, to be kind, forgive, and teach one another, to comfort one another, to confess our faults, have compassion, and to minister to one another, to be at peace with one another, to have fellowship with one another, and on and on. If there were no other commands in the Bible, we’d be kept busy our entire lives complying with just the “one another” commands.

You can see God cares a lot about our relationships. “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other,” says the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:12 [NLT]. Paul continues, “Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’ …All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” [end quote]

This word picture of our all being part of one body is very fitting when you think of the “one another” commands. So, let’s take care of one another. Let’s be sensitive to those around us, watching for needs they may have. Let’s do all we can to strengthen one another each day that we live.