A True Yokefellow
Pastor Jerry A. BurnsAnd I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Philippians 4:3The phrase “true yokefellow” is a beautiful description of someone who is faithfully joined together with another in the work of the Lord. A yoke connects two animals so they can pull together in the same direction. Paul was reminding us that serving God was never meant to be a one-person journey. There are times when we need others beside us—people who will pray with us, labor with us, encourage us, and help carry the load.
A true yokefellow is more than someone who simply attends the same church or agrees with us. It is someone who is willing to labor together for the Gospel. They are dependable when the work is difficult, faithful when no one is watching, and willing to keep pulling even when the road becomes hard. Ministry becomes a wonderful thing when God’s people stop pulling against one another and begin pulling together in the same direction.
Every Christian ought to desire to be a true yokefellow. Someone who can be counted on. Someone who will not quit when things become difficult. Someone who will strengthen the hands of others rather than make their burdens heavier. The work of Christ needs faithful people who will say, “You don’t have to carry this alone. I’ll pull with you.”
We may never know how much our faithfulness encourages someone else. A kind word, a prayer, a helping hand, or simply remaining faithful may be exactly what another believer needs to keep going. May God help us not only to find true yokefellows, but to become one.







