Purpose in Community

One of my favorite things about church is the relationships that are formed with other believers in Christ in the small, life group setting. It’s called “life groups” because we “do” life together. Meeting together as a large group on Sunday mornings, singing together, and listening to a powerful sermon is essential and helps us grow in our knowledge of Christ. Life groups help us bond with one another on a deeper level. While it’s easy enough to smile and give the obligatory, “I’m fine, how are you?” to a friend or acquaintance on a Sunday morning, life groups give an opportunity to get real with each other.

We see the importance of community and fellowship when we reflect on the early church and how they often met in homes, serving one another and honoring God. Yet it seems that we have become so independent and self-sufficient in our Western culture that we forfeit many of the benefits of the early church and culture. Some of us wear the badge of busyness, the shroud of martyrdom, as a modern-day status symbol! We struggle through life, wishing we had closer relationships with others, but there “just isn’t enough time.” This, of course, is just one excuse of many. There’s “I don’t like being in a group,” “I’m an introvert” (oooh, I’m gettin’ in some of y’all’s business right now, but it’s for edification purposes so you can’t get mad at me) or “I don’t like so-and-so, and he (or she) is in that group!” The funny thing is, in our attempt to be self-sufficient, we run ourselves into the ground, rendering ourselves useless for the Kingdom of God.

What if there is a better way?

Here’s the truth: yes, people are annoying. If you’re not annoyed easily by others, you can be sure people are annoyed by you. It goes for all of us. We are walking wounded. Some of us walk around like burn victims and all the world’s a fan. But here’s what I know: when we take a risk and let down our walls, invite Jesus in and come into agreement with God about growing together in Him and loving each other like Jesus, incredible things happen!

Did you know that relationships blossom much quicker when we have Jesus in common? Take this example…

On Sunday, after the sermon about fellowship, I was awe-struck by how two young women lived out the blessing of community right before my eyes. I had been trying to connect with a woman to talk to her about one of my favorite things (life group), and I received a text from her asking if I was still at church. I caught up with her, and she was talking to another woman sitting on a bench outside. Seeing that we needed to talk, the other woman offered to watch the young children of my new friend while she and I spoke. As any parent knows, trying to focus and have a conversation while your curious young boys explore near a parking lot is very stressful. This young woman offered without hesitation to lend a hand, allowing my new friend and I to connect! When I thanked her and pointed out what a gift that was, she replied that the other woman and her boys had come to her in a moment of need, just minutes before I walked up and that she was simply returning the favor. I then learned that these two women barely knew each other, except they had met in the women’s Bible study over the summer! Again, when Jesus is at the center, closeness can happen quickly!

If you struggle with feeling too busy, too isolated, too inadequate, too (fill in the blank), may I gently nudge you (sounds less pushy) to come into fellowship with other believers through a life group? It will challenge you, yes. That’s a good thing! Proverbs 27:17 says, As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. Sadly, we often shy away from groups of people and miss out on one of God’s greatest gifts! To love and to be loved by God’s people. To share in the ups and downs of life, rejoicing together, crying together, eating together, praying together. Witnessing miracles happen in each others’ lives and cheering each other on as we run the race marked out for us, both individually and collectively!

The very first sentence in “The Purpose Driven Life” says (accurately), “It’s not about you.” Life groups help us remember that. They allow us to step outside of ourselves and extend mercy, grace and unconditional love (the kind that only Jesus can provide) to others. You have something to offer, even if you aren’t comfortable speaking much. Just your presence gives strength for others to draw from. You give, and you receive. You love and are loved.

Lord, we thank you for the gift of fellowship and community. God, this life can be challenging, but you didn’t leave us here stranded and alone. Not only did you tell us that you would never leave us or forsake us, you gave us each other. I pray that you will humble us and give us the desire to enter into fellowship with one another for your glory and our good. In Jesus’ name, amen.