Community – doing life with other Christ-followers – is the secret sauce to 10X living. God addressed that in the first accounts of humanity when, after creating Adam, He said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” and He created Eve. Then He commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. That high value on community runs all through the Bible.
Doing life with other like-minded people is an integral and important part of our lives. Community life is extremely critical if you want to experience a 10X life. There are so many benefits to community. It is a proven fact that engagement in community improves your health – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. On the other hand, Isolation injures us. Our lack of community can keep us from being the healthiest we can be.
The people you choose to do life with are vital. They compose your community, which is the secret sauce for all the other essentials in 10X living. In community, you get the support and encouragement you need to get through life and reach your potential. The word “support” literally means to help enable someone to reach their capacity.
This doesn’t mean adopting an elitist mentality. It doesn’t make you better than others. It means becoming the best YOU. Neither does it mean you have to get rid of all your unhealthy friends. It does mean you must step up to become the leader and model a new way of living.
Remember, people first lose connection with the community of faith before they lose connection with their personal faith. That means that whenever someone drops out of regular participation in life with other believers, they are on the pathway to eventually dropping out of the faith life entirely. This is why we are urged to never neglect getting together with other believers for accountability, fellowship, and growth, regardless of what others do (Hebrews 10:25).
It is so very dangerous to opt out of community. The likelihood of you experiencing everything God has for you apart from living in community is very low. God, the Creator, designed you and I to grow and thrive within a supportive community.
Secular scientific researchers repeatedly inform us that a lack of relationships significantly affects our mental, physical, and emotional health. When we are lonely, it causes us to lose focus and to struggle. We lose focus on the other areas of health. Feelings of loneliness increase the likelihood of engaging in unhealthy, self-destructive coping behaviors. This keeps us from fully experiencing the joy of everyday life.
However, when we support each other, we increase one another’s potential in every area of life
In community we are strengthening one another and helping each other become more capable of facing the challenges of living life for Christ. And there are plenty.
One of the most common threads you will witness on social media, in news reporting, and just walking through life will confirm what your heart already knows. Living with peace and purpose in our extremely divided, angry, and fearful world is more difficult than ever. When you regularly connect with a loving community, you’ll be able to cope with things like fatigue, fear, frustration, and failure. You will be able to handle depression, despair, and very importantly, not have to walk through them alone.
Yes, community is the secret sauce to life. God made it that way.
Sign up today to join a 10X Living small group: newpointe.org/groups