Marked For Community

Can you imagine experiencing life as the Israelites did? Imagine the bond they must have shared after all that they lived through - a life of slavery, plagues, and a miraculous escape from the hands of their oppressors. They had shared experiences that would unite them forever - where they could recount all that happened, and all that God did through the years. Yet God wasn't creating an exclusive community. Rather, He intended to use Israel as an example and a means to bring others into His community of believers so that all might know Him and be in relationship with Him too.

While Jesus was on earth, he was on a mission to build his Church. He gave value to the marginalized and transformational grace to the sinner. He brought in the outcast, and he gave a place for the misfit to belong. Jesus invited people in to be known, loved, and to be made into his likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). He loves his church and wants us to be a part of it - to love the church like he does. So "let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Let's remember that God has marked us for community. Just like we need community, there are people who need the friendship, experiences, and insights that we have to offer them. What does your community look like? In what ways are you a part of your community? In what ways do you hold back? Maybe you've struggled to find a place where you belong. Perhaps you've recently lost some friendships and are struggling to make new ones. Remember that our God can place and use you in community, and He also wants to be your closest friend.

Pray: Give thanks to God for being the creator and author of community. Ask God to surround you with community that reflects His heart for people and the Church. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be a friend to those around you who may need it, and to understand your part in God’s Church (1 Corinthians 12:27).