Community
I just read this in a comment to a post at Off the Top:
"We are meant [to] live in a community of faith ... where we are willing to be inconvenienced by one another to help one another. We are asked to lay down our idols of comfort and convenience and act like the body of Christ. We need to live real lives, not wear masks showing that we have it all together or masks of victimhood. Just be real, authentic, needy at times, and willing to help one another."
I hadn't really thought of comfort and convenience being idols, but they are. This commenter really nailed the reason, too: comfort and convenience remove us from the community of faith that we are called to join. Putting yourself out there will challenge your comfort level and it will surely inconvenience you from time to time.
God's plans are perfect, though. He knows the benefits of fellowship. I can tell you first hand that I have been blessed by a wonderful family of believers that minister to me almost daily (and I hope I minister to them). I'll never forget the thoughtfulness of friends who brought travelling snacks for my family when we had to leave on short notice for my dad's funeral. And there were meals delivered for every significant occassion in our family (births, deaths, surgeries and illnesses). I have friends who will watch my children, friends who will pray for me, friends who sing over me, friends who counsel me, friends who will clean my house with me, friends who will learn Japanese songs to bless my husband's family, and friends who will drive long distances just to hold me up.
Sounds pretty wonderful, doesn't it? It is. It is. Of course, it is a two-way street. You've got to at least try to be the kind of friend you would like to have (although I've been a bit over-blessed, I must say). Then again, whatever you put into fellowship will come back to you bigger than you ever imagined. If you don't have a community of fellowship, make one. Start today. No need to be secretive about it, just approach people you admire and ask them to join you in friendship. Make time to spend with them, and you will be blessed.
I just read this in a comment to a post at Off the Top:
"We are meant [to] live in a community of faith ... where we are willing to be inconvenienced by one another to help one another. We are asked to lay down our idols of comfort and convenience and act like the body of Christ. We need to live real lives, not wear masks showing that we have it all together or masks of victimhood. Just be real, authentic, needy at times, and willing to help one another."
I hadn't really thought of comfort and convenience being idols, but they are. This commenter really nailed the reason, too: comfort and convenience remove us from the community of faith that we are called to join. Putting yourself out there will challenge your comfort level and it will surely inconvenience you from time to time.
God's plans are perfect, though. He knows the benefits of fellowship. I can tell you first hand that I have been blessed by a wonderful family of believers that minister to me almost daily (and I hope I minister to them). I'll never forget the thoughtfulness of friends who brought travelling snacks for my family when we had to leave on short notice for my dad's funeral. And there were meals delivered for every significant occassion in our family (births, deaths, surgeries and illnesses). I have friends who will watch my children, friends who will pray for me, friends who sing over me, friends who counsel me, friends who will clean my house with me, friends who will learn Japanese songs to bless my husband's family, and friends who will drive long distances just to hold me up.
Sounds pretty wonderful, doesn't it? It is. It is. Of course, it is a two-way street. You've got to at least try to be the kind of friend you would like to have (although I've been a bit over-blessed, I must say). Then again, whatever you put into fellowship will come back to you bigger than you ever imagined. If you don't have a community of fellowship, make one. Start today. No need to be secretive about it, just approach people you admire and ask them to join you in friendship. Make time to spend with them, and you will be blessed.
posted by Jan at 9:01 PM
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