[lead dropcap="yes"]It’s a weeknight. You walk through the doors of a restaurant and scan the room. You spot a couple of your friends claiming a table in the corner. They greet you enthusiastically with a hug and a smile. You’re introduced to a new couple you haven't seen before. You make small talk with them and greet the others who join you.[/lead]Coffees in hand and appetizers on the table, the conversation gets more open and relaxed. Then it goes deeper. You get a little vulnerable. You open up. You share your weaknesses and your struggles, but also your strivings.When you’ve finished baring your soul, you look back at the other faces sitting around the table, nodding in agreement. You’ve revealed yourself, but you haven’t been judged. Other people do the same. It’s beautiful.The restaurant is closing and the night is coming to an end. You exchange hugs and numbers with a couple of the new people you’ve bonded with. You leave feeling deeply satisfied and looking forward to the next chance you get to spend with them.The picture above is a beautiful example of what community looks like. This is the church. It's not a building. It's a community. God designed us to engage with others, and not to do life alone. Aside from God designing us with this intrinsic need, there are other practical reasons why we should be intentional about finding our tribe and getting plugged into a community.
1. COMMUNITY MAKES YOU ACCOUNTABLE
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. - Proverbs 18:1It’s a lot easier to make bad decisions when you think no one is watching. In isolation, or when you’ve surrounded yourself with the wrong kinds of people, no one challenges your decisions or encourages you to make better ones.When you’ve surrounded yourself with a positive, loving community, you begin to thrive in all areas of your life. There will always be someone to encourage you to do better, to offer help, or to love on you.
2. A COMMUNITY HELPS YOU SUCCEED
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. - Ecclesiastes 4:9Rome wasn’t built in a day. And it wasn’t built by just one man. It was a team effort, each man relying on the others for all the pieces to come together. In our society, we’re taught that being self-made and independent is admirable, yet there is strength in numbers. Your community can help you succeed in a number of practical ways, whether it be finding a job, showing you how to be a better husband/wife, or revealing other areas of your life you need to work on.Remember, if you want to go fast go alone if you want to go far go with others.
3. A COMMUNITY HELPS YOU GROW CLOSER TO GOD
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. - Matthew 18:20We may find ourselves in a position where we feel like God isn’t speaking to us or answering our prayers. In these times, it’s easy to fall into a trap of toxic thinking patterns. "God doesn’t care about me." "God doesn't hear my prayers." Although these thoughts are all untrue, we need people around us to give us perspective and bring us back from drifting away.
Even if we haven’t seen the miracle happen in our own lives yet, we can look at what he’s done in the lives of our circle of friends. What about that friend who was searching for a job for months and finally found the job of his dreams? Or the friend who was praying for a baby and is now a new mom? These are all reminders of God's faithfulness.Having a community can turn to when our faith wavers is so essential. They are there to encourage us, guide us, and pray for us. And the Bible tells us that when we gather together in his name, he is with us.
4. COMMUNITY JUST MAKES LIFE MORE FUN
Let's be honest. Successes are so much sweeter when you have a group of rowdy Miamians cheering you on. Doing life together simply makes it more fun.
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