No matter whether you're introverted, extroverted, or somewhere in between, we all need meaningful, long lasting relationships. We were created that way. God created us for Christian community.
THE EPIDEMIC OF LONELINESS
Studies have found that 61% of young adults, 51% of mothers of young children, and across all ages and demographics 36% of people report living with serious loneliness. Also 40% of older adults regard TV as their primary source of company. And on top of all this, loneliness is associated with many health problems including anxiety, depression and heart disease.
Loneliness isn’t defined as not having people in your life, but rather it means the lack of deep meaningful relationships. For all of us we can agree the statistics are not OK and something needs to change. It is not God's plan when we are living without community and isolated.
From the very beginning of creation when God created the world, He said it was good except for one thing, that Adam was alone. And from the very beginning God said it was not good for humans to be alone “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18 (NLT)
GOD EXISTS IN COMMUNITY
“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” Genesis 2:27 (NIV) God exists in community and created us in His image so we would exist in relationship with Him and with others. Community is important because it's important to God who created us. He created us physically, mentally, and spiritually to live in community.
“Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 1 Corinthians 12:15-18 (NIV). These verses tell us that we cannot say to each other that we don't need each other. Just like in the human body all parts are affected when one part is unhealthy. The fact of the matter is we need others and they need us. That is how God created us. Community is important because we serve God who created us to be relational and in community.
LOVE CAN ONLY EXIST IN A RELATIONSHIP
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV). For Christians community is a space where we grow in love and then share God's love with others.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (NIV). Jesus said that the main identifying characteristic of His disciples is love. But love can't exist unless there's someone who receives that love. Love is always going to be action. Community is a space for us to not only show love but also to grow in love and to receive it as well.
COMMUNITY IS A SPIRITUAL REFINER IN OUR LIVES
Throughout the New Testament there are over 100 times where we see the idea of “one another”. Most of those commandments relate to how we're supposed to live in a relationship where we encourage, we teach, we hold accountable, we share, we speak the truth, and we confess our sins. Community is important because that's where our spiritual growth happens.
It is through Christian community that we are not only drawn closer to God and experience an abundant life but also others can see the heart of our relational God, who created all people for relationship. When God sees people all alone He says: It is not good. He invites us and wants us to join Him in a relationship with Him, and with others.
