Building Community

Spending time with people who share our faith can help us walk in truth. We can rejoice over our victories and mourn over our losses. We can help each other with our weaknesses and praise each other’s strengths. We can hold each other accountable and call each other to a higher standard. This doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but we do share the value of growing stronger in faith, wisdom, and love. It takes work and dedication to sharpen iron, and it takes work and dedication to be a good friend.

Relationships aren’t always easy. They often require sacrificial love which isn’t comfortable or convenient. There are seasons when we give more than we receive, but relationships are still worthwhile. God knows what’s best for us, and he created us to live in community with other believers. He wants us to have the support and accountability of friends and family. We are not supposed to isolate ourselves or insist on managing life alone.

Sharing life with others comes with inherent risks and rewards. We will experience joy and closeness, and we will also be challenged by the need to forgive each other’s weaknesses. We will experience growth as we learn from each other, and we will experience the strain of disagreement. The blessing of connection is worth the work it takes to maintain. Our commitment to each other is not meant to be fickle or flighty. Instead, we are meant to weather storms together, offering support, companionship, and comfort.

Today, show up for the people around you. God invites you to love and serve others because he knows the joy that it brings. He calls you to embrace the work of building relationships because he wants you to experience the joy of connection and the blessing of unity. As you love others with vulnerability and authenticity, you will experience the sweetness of community.

What type of influence do you have on your friends and vice versa?

These plans contains references from our 365 Daily Devotions collection.