We were made to be together, in families: natural families and spiritual families. We thrive in community, in relationship. We receive love from others and learn to love others well. When mistakes are made, forgiveness mends, making us stronger than before. Iron can sharpen iron in community, and we are more like Jesus each time the metal scrapes.
After God created Adam, He said these words: “It is not good for man to be alone.” God was saying that the animals and Himself were not enough community for Adam. Adam needed people. God created Eve to meet that need in Adam’s case, but not everyone must have a spouse because God gives some the gift of celibacy. That means the statement stands for everyone inside and outside of marriage: “It’s not good to be alone.”
Being connected to the people in your church family is one of the ways God planned we would not be alone. The early church in Acts met in people’s homes and gathered at the temple throughout their week.
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts...” (Acts 2:46)
Meeting regularly, both in a congregation setting and in one another’s homes, is vitally important to our personal and spiritual wellbeing. That doesn’t mean we can’t ever be alone. Many of us are wired to rejuvenate during alone time. But we don’t stay there, refusing to pass the hurdles that hold us back from engaging with community.
When I say “engaging with community”, I mean intentionally spending time with other believers from this spiritual family. Sharing life and truth with one another will grow our faith and friendships. As we individually determine to pursue community, the whole will be transformed.
Maybe you have never engaged very much with community, or maybe you did in the past but aren’t right now. I encourage you to. It’s healthy, godly, and right to pursue community to a greater degree, so let’s go for it together! Bless you, beautiful church.