Friday, April 6, 2012

without you I am only me

Obvious? Yes. Profound? I think so.

I've been reflecting on community lately. It's not only good, but necessary, vital. Can you imagine trying to do life alone?! Living life with others is a beautifully hard, messy and refining act. We are told in Proverbs 27:17 that as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. We are meant to encourage, challenge, point one another towards Truth. It's messy because we're a bunch of imperfect people, the whole lot of us, but it's beautiful because we are able to display love as a body, the Body, the Church.

This phrase came to me this week as I was helping one of my teachers put the finishing touches on her newsletter, the very newsletter that would invite others to join her support team and be a part of the work that she will soon be doing in Asia. She'd beautifully used Ecclesiastes 4:12 that speaks of strength in numbers, and how she was going to need a strong *force* to go with her, both through prayer and financial means. She was stumped with the ending, the ask. It's uncomfortable for us, as folks who highly value individualism, to ask others for support.

The truth is, however, that we all need a strong support team. People who rally around us during the hard times and sing praises with us during the good times. Those who mourn with us in our suffering and rejoice with us at our celebratory banquet tables. Individuals who are praying for us daily, and individuals that, in turn, we are praying for daily. It doesn't matter if we never leave our city or if we move across our State, Nation or to the ends of the Earth. We need folks who know us, love us, rebuke us in love when necessary and always cheer us on to God's best.

So, while God promises that we can do all things through Christ, he also created us for community. Where one is weak, many are strong. Let's fight this good fight together, building one another up in love, impacting lives for all eternity! 

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet with one another, as is the habit with some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
-Hebrews 10:24-25

Without you I am only me..together, WE..

You are loved. xox