Commitment to Community预览

Day 3: Communion With God Leads To Community With Others

Community looks different for all of us. When we have communion with God, we are able to enter into community with others with realistic expectations. We all have experienced failed friendships. Sometimes we are the ones being hurt. And as hard as it may be to admit, there are times when we are the ones doing the hurting. Because humans are flawed and imperfect, when two or more people come together in friendship, those imperfections are magnified.

The only way to overcome those imperfections is by having our identity set in our relationship with God. Communion with God allows us to surrender our imperfections and trust in him. We recognize that we are flawed, and we recognize that anyone we have a friendship with is also flawed. We can’t expect from human friendship what only God can provide. God will never fail us. It is unrealistic to expect the same from others.

Healthy friendships exist when each person commits to finding their identity in their relationship with the Lord. This allows us to encourage, support, and forgive one another when necessary. Friendships can be a beautiful part of life. Having someone there to celebrate the good times and hurt with us through the bad times is a gift. Most likely, you have experienced times in life with friendships like this, and you can see why it is so good. We should make it a priority to develop these kinds of relationships in our lives.

Because God created us for community, our lives are enriched when we live in it. But those kinds of relationships can only exist when we have healthy views of ourselves and of others. We set our identity in Christ through communion with God. We learn to depend on him to fulfill our deepest needs. And then we move into community with others. This gives us space to hurt and be hurt; to forgive and receive forgiveness; and most of all, to let the “peace of Christ rule in our hearts” so that we can live in harmony with one another.

Reflection/Prayer

When we strengthen our relationship with God, we begin to let go of the insecurities that plague us. Questions like, “Am I a good enough friend? Are they a good enough friend? Do they really have my back?” begin to fade when we find our true identity in Christ. This allows us to set healthy expectations in friendship and build trust with one another. Spend some time today reflecting on friendships that have gone well and friendships that haven’t. As you listen to the Lord, what can you learn from these experiences?