When you think of community, what
comes to mind?
I am an extrovert by nature. I
love people, I love to get together with friends, I love hosting and going to
parties (food, clothing, make-up, bags, those kinds of parties). I can talk to
anyone, anywhere about just about anything. My husband jokes and says I could
talk to a brick wall and it would talk back to me. If you are ever looking for
me, you can find me talking to someone. Now, don’t get me wrong I love some
quiet time too. My quiet time is mostly quiet time with the Lord though. Any
other time I’m not a big, have the whole house quiet kind of person, if I’m
home alone, or the girls are doing something I will have worship music playing,
it can’t just be silent.
When I think about community, I
think about church, I think about getting together with a group of ladies on
Saturday morning over coffee, and chatting about life, and about Jesus, I think
going to the mall or watching a movie with a group of like-minded ladies.
I posed the question to friends
what their thoughts on community. One of my friends responded, “A place to
belong. A place to be myself and know I’m supported and loved. A place to
challenge and grow with others. An opportunity to reach out.” –Becky Weiss
Community means encouraging one
another. Coming along side one another, building each other up, being
accountable to one another, it means we have to never be alone in the good
times and the bad times.
When looking at scripture, and
creation, God created Adam. What did God say to Adam? God said, “It is not good
for man to be alone” Genesis 2:18, so He created Eve.
Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us
watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to
gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other,
and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Community does not just happen
within the walls of the building, we are the church, and so community is wherever
we are.
Acts 2:46-47, “Every day they
devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from
house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising
God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their
number those who were being saved.”
When others see us out and about,
enjoying each other’s company, having joy in whatever we are doing, they are
going to know what we have. We have Jesus and we have community.
Community is what God desires for
all us.
