People to Do Life With
September 15, 2020
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
My brother has often said that he didn’t know he was still somewhat selfish until he got married. He lived alone for a number of years, and in his relative isolation, not having to share space, energy, money—anything at all—with anyone on a regular basis, it took getting married and having a daily adult relationship to show him that he still had some growing to do.
God knows we need people. In order to grow, to really learn about love, we need people. Within the context of relationships we have the opportunity to express and receive love. God gave us a family of believers to develop and grow and thrive. Here are some reasons why it’s really important to be in relationship and do life with other believers:
Doing life with people challenges you to be more like Jesus. Nothing makes you more like Jesus than the daily grind of interaction with others. We are to encourage one another to pursue God and His kingdom.
Doing life with people meets practical needs and gives support. Brothers and sisters in Christ help each other when we are sick, when sorrow comes or new babies are born, when financial or emotional burdens are large. The body of Christ was made to support and love one another in practical ways, and by prayer, emotional support, and a shoulder to cry on. It also opens our eyes to the needs of others and calls us out of our self-centeredness.
Doing life with people reveals our gifts and talents. Within community we’re given the opportunity to discover our gifts and our talents, and to use them to bless others.
Doing life with others empowers your relationship with God. There is something real about the concept of power in numbers, something powerful about believers joining together, checking in on each other, asking the hard questions, and challenging each other to really live out our faith.
Doing life with others teaches us to work through conflicts and learn to forgive. Anytime people are together, conflict will eventually occur. But we’re called to work through our divisions with one another as a body of believers. It’s humbling to lay down our pride, and through relationships see how desperately we all need Jesus. Nothing shows Jesus more clearly than healthy interactions of love and forgiveness among believers.
- Pray: Lord Jesus, for these and so many more reasons, I need the church. Thank You for making me part of this beautiful idea, the hope of the world. Amen.