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
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