God recently put on my heart the importance of having connections within our lives and, more specifically, how having a healthy church can give you a community to form connections that follow the command given in John 15:12 (My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.)
I was upset a couple weeks ago…and a couple days ago because I felt so alone. As I was crying out to God, asking why. He reminded me that I am not alone and I have the church. I have a community of believers who answer my text messages way too late at night when I have anxiety, redirect my focus back to God when I am lost, and offer encouragement when I feel like I’ve lost all hope. God speaks many times about the importance of community throughout the bible. We were not created to go through life alone!
When, as a church, we can come together under one similar belief, regardless of our differences, we can change lives. Here is my story on how God placed me in the right church at the right time and how becoming rooted in the church impacted my faith and possibly saved my life.
I have attended the same church for a little over 3 years. When I first started going, I was still living according to my flesh; I was searching for years to fill a void I had. I was searching for happiness, peace, and a sense of belonging. From the first time, I stepped foot in the door, I had an urge to not only go more but to learn more and not just be saved but to truly have a relationship with Jesus. I bought my first bible a couple weeks later, but after the first week, I rarely opened it. As I continued to attend church, I was met with distraction after distraction anytime I tried to really learn about Jesus. There was always something to do Saturday night that hindered my ability to get up for church in the morning, and I was left feeling convicted.
It wasn’t until almost 2 years of attending church that I started getting disciplined in showing up more and more and making it a priority in my life. As I continued to participate in church, I formed God-centered relationships, relationships that offer encouragement, prayer, and a constant reminder to keep my focus on God. These connections and relationships I have in my life started at the church but didn’t end there. They became best friends, mentors and family, and they are more than a quick handshake at the door on a Sunday morning; they are relationships that formed because of being intentional. These relationships have helped me stay sober, offered encouragement in times of sorrow, hope when I felt like there was none, and constantly redirected my focus to God. This change in my community didn’t happen just because I walked through the church doors, listened to a sermon, and raced out the door as quickly as possible. It resulted from being vulnerable and intentional with other believers and choosing to be rooted in Christ.