Christ-Like Community

 

As  school starts up again I’m reminded of the the years of playing sports and belonging to a team. I had teams that encouraged me, and made me fall more in love with the sport. I also had teams that drained me, and tore down my desire and drive to play. The people we surround ourselves with matter! 

Community has never seemed so important to my family as it does now. It’s been such a blessing and we cannot sing enough praises of gratitude for all of the fellowship, prayers, and words of encouragement we’ve been blessed to have. It truly would be so difficult to have hope and joy in a situation like this, if loneliness or a lack of understanding was added on top of it. However, with community, there is joy, laughter, support, and help coming from every corner. Right now our community is much like being in a great online church. It’s nice, it’s convenient, but it doesn’t replace a hug, it doesn’t replace someone truly looking in your eyes and feeling your pain. A couple weeks ago we were blessed with a few nights in a condo at the beach, it was a huge, much needed blessing, but what God ordained while we were there was even better. God blessed me with an amazing surfing community of believers. I sat on the water for four hours praising Jesus, and having the best time of fellowship with people who love the ocean as much as I do. The next morning we went to church where my mom’s college friend led music, and to her surprise her first youth pastor preached. That weekend we felt (physically felt) what community felt like. It was beautiful, peaceful, and desperately needed. I implore you reach out, search out and find your community!

The Bible mentions community and fellowship over and over again. Even Jesus surrounded himself by community. According to the Greek, fellowship is not just the idea of spending time, or thought with someone but instead taking part in someone’s situation and committing with them! 

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:1-4 NKJV

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I Corinthians 1:9 NKJV

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 NKJV

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;”

Ephesians 4:1-4 NKJV

Don’t Give Up

I’m cheating this week…I was lost trying to think through what the Lord had been speaking to me this week. Not that he isn’t speaking, but I hadn’t tuned my ear to Him. I went back to my old devotions I wrote from my personal blog years back and saw this one. Although some things have changed, the concept was something I most definitely needed to hear and reapply in my life. 

Three Minutes of Faith blog: 

This week I have realized that I keep telling myself, "Don't give up!" I was trying really hard to fix everything in my life and get control but I was met with the disappointment of realizing again that I had failed. Through the years it became more fake feeling to say don't give up. I haven't given up, but I have felt more defeated than ever. I didn't understand how I could not give up and still be weak and defeated. I realized that I had not only begun to give up on trying to fix things, but I also had begun to give up on God. I felt abandoned by God because I didn't know if He was ever going to help me. I can type up a lot of devotions about how to trust God but it's a whole different thing to put into action in my life. I try very hard but I still find obstacles in my trials. I still have times of doubt in wondering if God is really apart of my trial. "If God was on my side, why have I gone through this for so long?" I had to learn that sometimes it takes a while. God has a plan that we can't always see. It can take years to see God's plans through. I don't mean to say that as a discouragement. I am trying to encourage myself and readers that God has plans to use you. Through any trial He can make a difference, I know I emphasize that a lot but it is easy to get discouraged when you don't see as much change as you hope. My main point is, DON'T GIVE UP ON GOD! God is working in your life no matter how hard it gets. He has plans for you to prosper and grow. Sometimes we don't see the growth from the seed we plant. One day, we may get to Heaven and someone could come to us to say, "You may not know this but, what you said fifteen years ago helped me to realize God's work in my life." We can impact others and our own lives by keeping the attitude of Christ with patience for God's plan in our lives. Don't doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light. Keep holding onto God even when you feel like there is no response from Him, He is working in your life, in your trials, and in your victory.

One thing I try to tell myself is to take down the mask so you can connect your real self to God. I had to take time to confess. Confess that I am broken and flawed. I was reminded that yes that's true, but God still loves me through that. I knew that if God loved me through my junk, I should share that love with others. There is a line in the movie "We Bought A Zoo" that says, "You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it." I think that another way to put that line is, "If you have 20 seconds of insane faith, of possibly embarrassing bravery, I promise you something great will come out of it." That great thing could be, a missions opportunity that you don't know how will be funded. It could be by sharing the Gospel with someone. It could even be trusting that God will get you through a storm and choosing to have that insane courage in your faith instead of falling into that feeling of I can't go on. A small glimmer of hope can change your outlook or someone else's outlook on life. You can change someone's destiny if you let God work through you. The difference between us, as Christians, speaking up about the Gospel, is Heaven and Hell.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Philippians 1:6

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.