Community

"You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." -1 Peter 5.5

1 Peter 5.5 speaks of the importance of learning, and it emphasizes the crucial nature of community. We we not made to do life alone, and though we may admire a loaner, they are not the ones we should strive to emulate. The opening phrase of this verse clearly states to to submit to the lessons of godly elders. That can only take place in community.

We were made for relationships, and for so much of my life this was not something I valued, or fully understood. I'm naturally more introverted, and I don't meet people, or bond with people, easily. It is comfortable for me to stay silent around people, and withdraw at the first opportunity. It's easy not to engage, but it's a lonely life, and not one that we were intended to live.

Over the past month, I've really felt the longing for relationship. I'm fairly isolated at the moment. I work long days, and come home exhausted to various other things that demand my attention. I either have my girls on the weekends, or have school work, or some kind of planning to get done. My closest close friend lives more than an hour away, and he has his own life, job, and family. For the first time I've felt the weight of longing for other people, simply to be able to have community.

I'm part of a church, but its a big church, one of those where it's really easy to get lost in the crowd. I have a good relationship with several of the pastors, but my schedule makes it difficult for me to be involved with anything else. The thing is, community is something that we all need, something we were created to have, and an essential element of leading, is having community to lead.

We were not made to live in isolation. God said in Genesis 2 that it is not good for man to be alone. Over and over in the Bible the need for community and fellowship is emphasized. Francis Chan one said, "As I studied the Scriptures, I realized God doesn't want me to do this by myself." We were made for community.

A loan wildebeest gets taken out by a lion, and a lone man bets taken out by the lion. Don't live in isolation. Acknowledge the need you have of others, and pursue community.


Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!