Us. We. Them. They. Our people. Our group. My family. My squad. Our team.
Humans gravitate towards family, groups, teams, and collectives of many types. Unless you are genuinely a hermit, you enjoy (to varying degrees) being with others. Not all of the time, of course. We all need some “alone time.”
But most of us need time with others – maybe it’s one other person, a small group of others, or a crowd of others. We want and need friendship, companionship, a company of people who think as we do, or a diverse group of thinkers who keep us on our toes. We look for sympathetic listeners, encouragers, people with whom we can laugh, cry, whine, pray, or rejoice—a support team.
God made us for community. In the Garden of Eden, He said it wasn’t good for man to be alone. So God created Eve. Later, God brought children into the family equation, and the family structure grew. Extended families became family tribes, communities, and then nations. In the New Testament, Jesus established the Church—a new community for new Christ-followers.
Community is good as long as it strengthens and encourages you in your walk with Christ and allows you to live out God’s personal calling for your life.
Neither is meant to replace the other.
One cannot function optimally without the other.
We should not sacrifice “Personal Relationship” on the altar of “Community.” Nor should we sacrifice “Community” on the altar of “Personal Relationship.”
To do “Community” optimally (that is, to be a godly contributor to the community’s spiritual health), you must first be rightly positioned in your Personal Relationship with God.
That is not to say that you set “Community” aside while you work on the “Personal Relationship” with God. You must be mindful of and intentional in your ongoing responsibility to grow in your relationship with God so that you can effectively and continuously contribute to the Community where God has placed you to fellowship and serve.
If your priority is investing and growing in your God relationship, you will find that finding your place in God’s Church and Community of Believers will naturally result. Yes, you still must be intentional and take the initiative to interact with other believers. In-person interaction is best unless physical restrictions make it impossible for you to do so. Thankfully, technology offers numerous ways to participate in Church and Community when in-person participation isn’t possible.
How do you obediently invest in growing your relationship with God? The specifics will vary based on your life season and the particulars of your circumstances. Whatever approach you decide to take, be certain to include these elements:
Remembrance & Thanksgiving:
- Remember, give thanks and praise for the times that God has answered your prayers, provided for your needs, guided you through a difficult situation, provided comfort, sent an encourager into your life, or in some way ministered to your heart, mind, body, and/or soul.
- Thank Him for His unending love for you; the gift of your salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ; His Indwelling Holy Spirit; His Word; and your sure and certain Hope of eternal life with Him in glory.
- Praise Him for who He is and what that means to you. Thank God for the blessing of being chosen to be a child of Almighty God through Faith in Jesus Christ.
“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” 1 Corinthians 14:15 ESV
Ongoing Repentance & Soul Cleansing
- Confess and repent of the sins of the day. God forgave your sins when you repented and accepted Jesus as your LORD and Savior. But remember, we are “works in progress.”
- In our not-yet-sanctified state, we still sin. Keep the account clear between you and God. Every day, bring your failings, stumbles, and sins to God. Confess, repent, and ask for His forgiveness. Then ask for the Holy Spirit’s equipping to help you remain steadfast in the face of temptation, lies, and the schemes of Satan. This is a necessary ongoing cleansing (sanctifying) process to keep the lines of communication open between you and God.
“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” Psalm 32:5 ESV
Attentive Prayer
- Prayer is not a one-way street of us doing all the talking as we ask, confess, repent, and appeal to God. Prayer is also a time of listening for God’s still, small voice to speak to you. It’s hard to hear Him when you never stop talking. Listen and meditate on His Word as you pause to listen for His voice.
“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. … Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.” Isaiah 51:1, 7 ESV
Prayers of Petition
- When we bring our needs, challenges, and problems before the Lord, this is a prayer of petition. It’s also a prayer of petition when we bring our loved ones, family, friends, and their physical and spiritual needs before the Father.
- In these prayers, we ask for God’s guidance, discernment, and wisdom in dealing with our concerns. And we ask that He will intercede in our lives and the lives of others with His mercy, grace, goodness, and great love.
- Prayers of petition place the request in the hands of the Father to answer as He sees best. These prayers teach trust and reliance on our Heavenly Father and help us learn to relinquish our need for control or desire to fix issues in our limited strength.
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 ESV
Bible Immersion
- The best way to grow in your knowledge and understanding of God is through His Word. The Bible is the primary tool the Holy Spirit uses to reveal God to us, God’s children. God’s Holy Spirit will open our eyes, hearts, and minds to the Truth of God’s Word.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. … Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. … Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. … You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. … The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” Psalms 119:67, 89, 105, 114, 160 ESV
Fellowship (Community) With Other Believers
If you are not actively participating in a community of Bible-believing believers:
- Find a church that preaches and teaches the Gospel of Christ and God’s Word truthfully, unapologetically, and urgently.
- Find a community of believers that is led well by godly men whose greatest desire is to feed the body of Christ so that it flourishes in knowledge, understanding, and application of the Word.
- Find a church with a passionate heart for bringing the lost to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ—a church that takes the Great Commission seriously and works to take the Gospel of Christ from surrounding neighborhoods to the ends of the earth.
“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 ESV
Are you actively pursuing growth in your Personal relationship with God?
Are you regularly engaging with a Community of Believers for equipping, growth, encouragement, and service?
I pray you see the critical intersection of the “Personal” and the “Community.” Your personal relationship with God is paramount, but God has made you for community with other Christ-followers for growth, encouragement, exhortation, accountability, to serve and be served.
“Personal” and “Community”
Both are vital components of the vibrant Christian life.