“And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone.’” Genesis 2:18a
There are over 7 billion human beings in the world, and yet, we may still feel lonely. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in our own lives that we don’t take the time to really get to know others. We might mingle between meetings or catch up at the water cooler, but that isn’t real, authentic community. It’s important to spend time alone with God, soaking up His Word. But God didn’t intend for us to live in isolation. He designed us to crave and to thrive in relationship with others. We’re our best selves when we’re experiencing life with other believers, whether you’re single or married. Everyone needs community. The Bible has a lot to say about this topic! Here are four reasons the Bible says community is so great. 1. Community is encouraging. Being in community gives you the chance to be around people at different stages of their faith journey and to bear their burdens alongside of them (Gal. 6:2). Everyone has something to teach and to learn. In fact, it creates the ideal environment to be a Barnabas (friend), pursue a Paul (teacher), or train a Timothy (student). See Hebrews 10:24-25 2. Community is fun. Community should never feel boring or forced. In fact, it should be the exact opposite. Psalm 133:1 (NIV) tells us, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Yes, community has a higher purpose. But it should also be enjoyable! 3. Community attracts the Holy Spirit. The Bible says the Holy Spirit is present whenever believers gather together (Matt. 18:20). The early church of Acts made a habit of meeting together, eating together, and worshiping together. As a result, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46–47 NIV). 4. Community fosters love. 1 Cor. 13 ends with, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Paul held love above all else in his letter to the Colossians as well: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col. 3:13–14). Community is life-giving and essential to following Christ. Scripture says that’s because we’re better together than we are alone (Rom. 12:4–5). Community is not only God’s desire for us, it is also a sign of a mature faith. When we grow in our relationships with others, we’re growing in relationship with Him! Comments are closed.
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