The Importance of Community

     As humans we come in contact with hundreds of people sometimes daily. In our lifetime we can pass by and see thousands upon thousands of faceless humans. Only a small number of those people we become acquainted with. An even smaller amount of those acquainted with we end developing a relationship with them. Then on from that uncountable number of contacts we have only a minuscule amount of people we would consider to be close friends. 

    I'm going through an interesting transition. I feel God really just opening my eyes to the importance of community. God calls us to do 2 things, love Him and love people. If you're anything like me the loving God part is extremely easy, but the loving people thing...not so much. I've really seen lately God opening my heart up to people and showing me how amazing it truly is when you have people close to your heart to experience God with and partner with them in your walk with God.

      All throughout the Bible relationship is prevalent. David had Jonathan, Ruth had Naomi, Jesus had Peter, and Barnabas had Paul. The stories of these friendships are some of the best ever documented. Despite trials, controversy, and adversity these men and women showed loyalty and commitment to each other along with strengthening each other. What's the purpose of friendship? In my opinion the purpose of friendship is to strengthen one another, assist each other in trials, to uphold each other in weakness, and expose things in the other that the other may not see with the purpose of building up the person. 

      In our lives we have blind spots. Places in our lives that we don't see imperfection or shortcomings and when rooted in community those weaknesses can be loving exposed with the intent of helping the person become closer to God. When having a partner(s) in your walk with God it allows you to be subject to accountability and when the person who knows you forward and backward sees something off in you they can easily identify it and help restore you. God allows us to be in relationship not just because it makes Him happy, but because it strengthens us as humans. There's something just so different about life when something goes amazing you have someone to rejoice with, and when it feels like everything is wrong you have someone to cry with. We as humans have this innate desire and need for people. As much as some people suppress it we all have this need for relationship and to be loved. 

       On the subject of love, God has been really just rocking my world with love. Like just loving people. I personally have always been introverted and able to spend hours and even up to days away from any human interaction. Since getting saved I feel that previous nature dissipating. I've become more outgoing, hospitable, and personable. People have been put priority above myself. Over the course of this year I've began to feel a closer bond to what now are my best friends. The level of love I have for about 4 or 5 people is like anything I've ever experienced before. My relationship with God has deepened because of them. Exactly how God intended relationship with people to be. When I look to the Bible I see John 15:13-15 describe friendship as this, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." Hmmmm no greater love than he who lays down his life for his friends? That's extreme! God calls us to love so passionately and fiercely to lay down our lives for another person. What other religion or earthly philosophy would say that if it comes down to you or them....choose them? We live in a world all about I. I get the better car over you. I get the better position at work if it means I have to step over you. If a car is speeding down a busy street and its either you or me...well its too bad for you! But God is saying to love another person so fervently and unconditionally that if it means that you see death so they may live....so be it. 

     My favorite Bible story occurs in 1 Samuel Chapters 18 to 20. Jonathan, despite inheriting power and going against his father's pursuit of David, remained loyal and stood by his friend. Jonathan had his whole life lined up. Jonathan was prince and son of King Saul. Jonathan was destined to become King of Israel. Through marriage David became Prince of Israel, and David grew popular among the Israeli Army and people. Saul's favor and love for David turn to bitterness and hate. Saul knew one day David was going to take the thrown which meant Jonathan would never be King. So Saul purposes in his heart to murder David. Jonathan and David's bond grew strong and they purposes not to let anything come between them. Many times Jonathan risked his own life to aid and intercede for David. David respected Jonathan so much that he bowed down before him three times. Once hearing the news of Saul and Jonathan's death, David composed a song of lamentation called The Song Of The Bow that was instructed to be taught to all the children of Judah. So easily Jonathan could have turned on David. I'm sure Jonathan dreamed many times about become King  and how amazing it would be. Then to have that birth right taken away could have been traumatic for Jonathan if he let it. Jonathan had every right to be angry and to help his dad pursue David's life, but the love he had for him and he valued David too much. So often in the name of position and ministry we easily walk on each other to get ahead. What if we went into the ministerial world with the mentality of Jonathan that when that church of 500 who your father passionately Pastored for 30 years and you were to be the obvious choice for Senior Pastor when he retired next year, and God anoints your best friend for that position and you are to be stuck in the Youth Pastor role for another season. Instead of groaning and moaning over the loss of your promotion you can be like Jonathan and rejoice that God chose your best friend for you to be submitted to in authority. That relationship is the beauty of community. 

      I write this with some of the best people I met thus far in mind and pray that if God exalted one of them over me whether in ministry or personally that I'd react like Jonathan and be their number one supporter. That's what community is about. Giving up our personal agendas, comfort, and position to see God move in others. Joy can be defined as Jesus-Others-Me. I challenge those who don't have this type of relationship to seek God out and then get a name(s) and seek out relationship. You weren't intended to make this journey alone, but to do it arm and arm being rooted in community. 

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17