Community: Disciplines of a Godly Woman Series
Community.
Welcome discipline #4 of the Disciplines of a Godly Woman Series.
This is a familiar, friendly word. Community means real life relationships and real life connections. We live in a world that is extremely busy and filled with distractions and a lot of overwhelm. Frankly, it can be hard to make connections in relationships these days.
But, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try. We can actually know that we need to make the effort but it’s not quite that easy. Life is full of distraction. We have past hurts that keep us from stepping out. Some of us are just too tired to try.
Why is community needed in our lives? Have you ever thought about the importance of this in your daily life? What does community mean for you? Let’s look at this.
You will have to be intentional for this discipline to be added to your life. But, for most people, this type of intentionality will need you to be very determined. It will also have to be very important to you to personally to find someone else with the same like mind.
Intentionality can be hard for some people because they may personally feel they don’t need relationship. But, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. God created us for relationship with Him and with each other. I personally have had several women tell me they don’t need friends. My heart was very saddened by that. They don’t even know what they are missing in good healthy relationships. I understand why they said this to me but it didn’t make it easier.
Let’s look at this discipline a little closer and see the importance of it, how to develop it and what happens if you shortchange your life in this area.
Importance of Community
- We need community because we are supposed to encourage each other in our relationship with Christ and to keep Christ as the center of our lives
- Relationship and community encourages us to do good works for Christ and for others
- You learn to develop commitment with others in community
- You grow as a person in healthy community
- You have built in accountability in community
- You are not alone in life
How to Develop Personal Community
- Eat together. Break bread together. Have dinner with people. Ask them to come over or go out. Be intentional about it.
- Let your guard down of mistrust. Don’t judge everyone before you really get to know them
- Don’t give up on people when it gets tough. Hang in there learn and walk with the other person or persons
- Stay through the mess and show God’s love, grace, and mercy when others need it most
- Depend on the courage of God to develop this in your life
Consequences to Lack of Community
- Shortchange ourselves the opportunity to grow in this way
- May miss the love or God coming through another person
- May miss the best part of life with another person
- Not grow as a person in areas of your life you desire to grow in
Remember, God created us for love and community. Love was never meant to be lived out in isolation. Step out today and think of three ways you could start community in your life
Comment on this blog back to me if you have ways you can add this to your life
Selah.
