Made For Community

Have you ever worked in a group with other people who only slowed down your progress? A lot of people actually prefer working alone so that they can manage priorities the way they want. While this may be a good method in some cases, it’s not usually the best way to live.

From the very beginning of creation, God created us to be in relationship with other people. We are created for community and friendship, and God intended for us to work together and help each other through life.

I don’t know about you, but I long for community. Community makes me a better person. For years my husband and I had a very strong community. We were on staff at large church and led young adult and young married ministry. I loved having people in our home for dinner, dessert, coffee, Bible study, play groups with other mom’s, discipleship groups, and leadership groups.

I found great fulfilment in these relationships and loved the connection I had with these relationships. However, one day life as we had known it for so long, suddenly changed because our senior Pastor decided to fire us from staff with little reason. WOW! What a sting that was, all of sudden these people that I loved and trusted betrayed me and my husband.

It was painful, hard, and complicated because the congregation really never heard the truth from our senior Pastor as to why we left. For obvious reasons, we needed to find a new church community. I will tell you after nearly 15 years now since that life event, my husband and I have yet to find community like we had with those young adults and young married couples.

I have spent countless hours crying, praying, being lonely, and longing for community again. There is just something special about have “your people.” Those who just “get you,” those who are there in thick and thin. God didn’t call us to spiritual lone rangers.

And yet— a lot of people live their life in isolation from others. They believe that as long as they have Jesus, they don’t need anybody else. But you and Jesus can’t make it through life alone. You were created to share life with others.

The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that there are many things that one person cannot do alone. We need others to help us when we fall. We need others to encourage us when we’re down. We need people to accomplish tasks in life that are greater than us.

Most people who have gone through difficult seasons of life wish there had been someone to walk alongside them. We long for connection and community.

This is how God designed us—we were created to share the burdens of life together.

God created the Church to be a community of people who all love God and love others. When we find community within the people of God, we will also find people who can walk through life together with us. You don’t have to walk through life alone—God has provided other people to help you along. And you are also called to help those in your life.

Though yet today, as I write this I don’t have that “strong community” that I once had, I have chosen not to give up faith, I still believe God will grant this to me and my husband, because it is His will for us to have community. I know He is going to bring us or take us to that church community that we long for, if you have that today be grateful!

Take some time today to thank God for the friends and community He has given you. Thank God for each of them by name. As they come to mind, be sure to let them know that you appreciate their friendship in your life. Seek out ways that you can continue to build a healthy community of friends.

Blessings~
Regenia