Who Do You Turn To?

During the summer, our connect group is not meeting every week. Everyone is so busy in the summer and our group was going to be hit or miss so we all decided a break would be good. What I didn't anticipate was the sense of displacement I would feel because we are not weekly getting together. I miss being with these wonderful people and sharing a meal with them while we listen to all of our kids play as we try to concentrate on the study we are going through. 

There are 7 families in our connect group and a total of 20 kids with 2 on the way. In this group, we invest in one another and laugh together. If one family is struggling, we all feel the burden of their struggle and band together to help any way we can. It wasn't easy to build these relationships, but now that we are invested in one another, we depend on one another for support.

This is the group I go to for prayer. I go to them when I want to get away from life and just be myself because they know me and do not define me by my weaknesses. I never worry this group will judge me but I rely on this group to hold me accountable and to call me out on the table when I'm acting like an idiot. 

Do you have group of people you trust enough to speak truth into your life? A group that can hold you accountable and spur you on in Christ. A group that brings out the best in you and when you are around them their company makes your day brighter, your burdens lighter, and your struggle easier to bare.

Life is meant to be lived in community. When we allow Satan to separate us from the body, we make ourselves and our families susceptible to patterns of complacent living, selfish behavior, and sin. You can be a Christian and not connect with others Christians weekly for accountability, but you will never experience all the benefits of living a life with Jesus. You will never fully understand how to live and love as He did, until you take the time to invest in what is important to Christ, His church. 
 
I want my children to grow up seeing Godly community lived out and practiced. Community that rejoices together and invests in one another. Community that prioritizes spending time with one another because we all understand life is too difficult to live alone. One thing my parents taught me that I practice to this day is the importance of just showing up. When we show up and allow ourselves to be invested in community, God shows up and transforms our priorities and our mindset. Through community and studying God's word together, serving together, and loving each other we start to see our schedules and the way we are living life a little differently. The kid's being involved in everything seems less important and the hours a week we devote to hobbies we find "relaxing" don't seem to refresh us like they used to. We want to be with the community and we feel disconnected when we don't see each other regularly. 

Jesus made it a priority to be with the twelve disciples. Teaching them, laughing with them, and investing in them. Did He invest in the masses of lost people? Absolutely. Did He take time for Himself to pray and be alone? You bet He did. But we see Jesus time and time again sharing a meal with the twelve. Traveling with the twelve. Investing in the twelve. Jesus understood the importance of connecting with a small group of people who got it and tried to live life with purpose. He knew it was important for the twelve so they could fulfill the great commission, but also it was important to Jesus so He had a group of people He could depend on. They weren't perfect, but they loved Him and all were willing to sacrifice everything for Him so others could experience the same love and grace willing given to them. 

If Jesus hadn't invested in community what would our faith look like today? If He was too busy to connect with a small group of guys and build relationships with them, the church would have failed. You can't remove community groups from God's plan and the formula work. Christ followers were designed to live together, worship together, pray together, love each other and unite together. When you are a part of this kind of community, it transforms you from the inside out.

As I think about Stella and all our family has been through the past 18 months. I think of where we were and where God has lead us. I think of all the people who have made a difference in our lives and have encouraged us through the chaos and uncertainties we faced and I cherish them and thank God we didn't have to go it alone. We had strong support and love from family and friends. God takes care of us through the kindness of others. He hugs us, through a hug given in His name. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Just like my children look out for each other, we look out for another. His design for community brings hope, joy, and true acceptance. It takes time and there are awkward moments, but the end result is a group of imperfect people banning together for a common goal; to love one another as Christ loved us.