ColleensLife

Community: Part 1

Community: Part 2

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’- Matthew 25:40

Be Encouraging

I think encouraging fellow believers, encouraging anyone actually, is a lost and forgotten art.   It doesn’t seem to happen much, at all.  Why is it so difficult to encourage those around us?  Why is it hard to point out great qualities to those around us and encourage them in who God made them?  I know very  few people who do this.  I’m excluding myself from those people.  I am a horrible encourager.  It’s something that I feel God is asking me to begin to practice.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be encouraging to each other, daily.  This is not an option, it is a command.

Healthy Community Promise (from my days at BG):

-As we interact, I will look not only as to how I can give to you, but eagerly seek the blessing of receiving from you.

-Knowing that God has uniquely created you to be who you are, I will seek to encourage you in your particular strengths, giftedness and opinions – without trying to make you become like me.

-I commit to you verbal expressions of appreciation and love.  If I am encouraged by your life, growth, successes, decisions or gestures – I will not rob you of the joy of hearing how you have blessed me.

-If I see you have an emotional, relational or physical need, I will prayerfully consider that which will best tangibly minister to you.

Bible Reference:

- not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:25

- and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, – 1 Thessalonians 3:2 

- Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

- And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.- 1 Thessalonians 5:14

- and let us consider how to spur up one another to love and good deeds, - Hebrews 10:24

- Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. – Ephesians 4:29

- But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:13 

- Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2

- And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.. – Ephesians 5:18-19

Hindrances: Self Reflection and Observation

I think I expect others to be like me, and when they aren’t I don’t encourage them OR appreciate the unique way God made them.  I see the parts of their personality that are different then me as “wrong” because I can’t understand them, and rather then encourage who God made them, I draw back or judge – which is probably pretty discouraging to them.

As I observe here and there what others around America have shared with their experience with this, it seems pretty common.   It’s a rarity to find a group of people who can really enjoy and appreciate all types of people for who God made them.

Another thing I notice about myself is that I joke around way to much…to the point it could hurt others when I don’t mean to.   I don’t think joking is wrong, but, there is a line and we need to walk in the spirit.  I’ve seen some people pretty discouraged  and then hurt because of coarse joking, we need to be encouraging each other…in every way possible.

….And then there is “the least of these”.  Who are these people?  They are the ones we would define as the “most difficult to love”.  Who wants to encourage them?  No one.  Why?  Because we all know that when you take time to encourage someone, that person will be drawn to you because you are giving them life.  Because of this, these people are not encouraged or sought after.   Not only am I probably the most guilty of all in this, but, darn it, I AM the least of these, especially in this season of life.  It’s hard being around “the least of these”.  But, the bible is clear –  whatever we do for the “least of these” we have done to Christ.

A Challenge: To Myself and Others

-Take time to love those who are hardest in your life to love currently.

-Choose one friend a week and love on them and encourage them all week.  Do you have a blog?  Facebook? Any social media?  Honor them this week with these avenues.

- Find a friend who is most opposite of you-  call out their giftedness.

-Find  a brother or sister in Christ who is bearing a heavy burden.  Ask them how you can help.  Don’t just help for the day or week, or until you feel “done”, help until that brother or sister has finished walking through whatever burden they bear…even if it takes years.

-Befriend someone who is completely and totally opposite of you in every way.  Get to know them, be in their life, appreciate them, learn from them, and mostly – find Christ’s character and personality in those characteristics that are most different from you.

- When you are tempted to harshly joke with someone, even in “good fun”, choose instead to encourage.

Community:  Part 1

I think I have typed out this blog about 5 different times.  Each time I finished it, the Lord kept saying, “Delete it.  Delete it.  Delete it.”  I think He wanted my heart to be in the right place before I began.

My goal with these blogs on community is to share a fresh perspective – a biblical, godly perspective of what Christian fellowship CAN be if we choose to pursue it that way.  Friendship, can be whatever we want it to be, surface-y or deep;  Real or fake;  Long suffering or quick to depart;  Based on what it offers you, or what you can offer another.  I could go on about what it can or shouldn’t be.  But, I DO think there is a best way.  A way that most honors God.  So, I’m just gonna share my findings.

If you define yourself as “non-christian”  these few blog posts might not be for you.  But please still read and enjoy our quirky but fun faith!

As Christians, I do think God is very specific on how He wants us to treat and love each other.  Why?  Because people are watching.  And, people are hurting.  We need Christ-like friendships and fellowship for these reasons.    In His Scripture, Jesus say, that men will be drawn to Him by how CHRISTIANS treat and have fellowship with each other –  People are watching.  Scripture also talks about how we need people in our lives as support –   People are hurting.  And, we are supposed to be God in the flesh- to each other, and to others.

The closest I have ever come to true biblical community was during my years serving on leadership, and then eventually on staff, at Bowling Green when I worked with Campus Crusade for Christ.  Since we were a group of messy people  working and serving so close together, we HAD to live as closely to scripture as we possibly could.  We had no choice but to work out any conflict for the sake of peace and harmony.   We worked side by side daily with other messy humans (Who are human…who are 100% for sure going to be messy and make mistakes in friendship and life because they are flawed humans) and saw each other regularly, there was no time for division, there was no room for it.  Deal with your conflict, choose to love and move on. Period.  Divisiveness is something God specifically says, ‘NO” to.

We had no choice but to encourage each other.  We saw sad, devastating things on a weekly basis.  Encouraging and spurring one another on was a MUST.   As well, because of our flaws and brokenness, people are simply discouraged.  Encouragement to spur one another on in good works, encouraging who God made each brother or sister was a must.

We had no choice but to appreciate each others differences.  We were a college ministry, and with that comes people from all walks of life, all types of personalities, all types of mess.  Learning to live out life with Christians who were different from me in every way was necessary and biblical so that we could work together in peace.  It also taught me how to appreciate and love those who are different then me- to appreciate how God created another.

We had no choice but to bring difficult topics up with each other.  And when that person being talked to was ME I had no choice but to humbly discuss what was needed to discuss.   This was all for the sake of working together peacefully and to achieve the goal at hand- letting people see Christ.    It was all for the sake of pushing each other to live Christ like before a Holy God.  Was it easy?  NO.  It was actually one of the most refining times in my life, and we all know being refined is not fun!  But in the end, did I feel more loved and accepted then ever before?  yes.  Totally worth it.  Does it mean I had to be close friends with everyone?  No.  But it did mean leaving in peace with everyone, with no division.  That’s a biblical command.

What I just mentioned above was not easily lived out.  So our Pastors and teachers typed up a little document to help remind us how to treat one another.   As I enter a new season of life and friendship, this idea of “true biblical community” has come up more then once.  So I contacted my old mentor (You are dearly missed btw.  Your ability to love is like…Christ..you are just Christ in the flesh, woman!) to get a hold of that document because it is such a great blue-print.

The document covers 4 areas of living in healthy, biblical community.  The areas are:

Conflict Resolution:
Are we seeking to resolve conflict?  Are we gossiping about those we have conflict with? If we are frustrated with each other do we seek to work it out?  Do we have an “I’m right, you are wrong!” attitude?  Are we seeking to hear or be heard?

Walking in the Light:
Are we open with our lives?  Are we open to someone speaking truth to us?  Are we humbly accepting criticism?  Or we even open to criticism?   Are we hiding from each other?

Encouraging:
DO we seek to encourage each other?  Even the brother or sister who is hard to encourage?  Are we encouraging those who are different then us?  Are we appreciating those who are different then us?  Are we trying to make our brothers and sisters like us rather then courage who God made them?  If we see a brother or sister in need, do we actively seek out how to help them?

Spirituality:
Are we judging peoples spirituality on outward appearance?  Are we judging them on attendance or involvement or status in the church?  Do we encourage each other to have friendships other then ours knowing that means less time for us?

Just some things to think about.  I’ll be writing about each area and include some biblical references as I seek to understand this topic more!

For quite some time now (like for about 6 years, but more specifically the last nine months), Christian Community has been a burden on my heart.

The word “community” is what we Christians use to describe our friendships and hangout with other Christians.  I don’t really know how that terminology came about, but alas, that’s the word that was chosen.  I wanted to start this blog with a definition of the word “community.”  What I found when searching was not at all what I felt was Gods heart about it. The definitions I discovered were:

1. A group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership: “a community of nuns”.
2. All the people living in a particular area or place: “local communities”
3. Common possession or enjoyment; participation; as, a community of goods.
4. A body of people having common rights, privileges, or interests, or living in the same place under the same laws and regulations; as, a community of monks. Hence a number of animals living in a common home or with some apparent association of interests.

I mean…kinda….but, not really.  These definitions were not hitting the nail on the head.  They weren’t expressing the Heart of God.   The more I tried to search for the meaning of this word, the more frustrated I became because nothing I searched for could quite describe or embody what my spirit was looking for.  My heart was unsettled.

I conversed with the lord about it, “Why do we even call it community?  Is the word community even in the bible?  Why have we labeled it this when this definition is not even close to what christian fellowship really is?  How should I define it for my readers?  More importantly, how do YOU define it?

What He said hit my mind and heart like a ton of bricks.  He said, “I believe the word you are looking for is, devotion.”

Excited, I searched for the word “devotion”.  What I found fell in tune with my spirit, immediately.   Here is the definitions I found.

1. Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.
2. the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal
3. Synonyms:  Loyalty, dedication, attachment, aderence, piety

I will argue then to say, other then first being devoted to God, I believe that we will not have successful community, the way God intended, if we are not fully devoted to each other.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.- Romans 12-10

Part of my “study” on Christian community was gathering the thoughts of fellow believers.  I inquired of those who are close to me, and those who are out of state.  I’m just curious how well The Church around America is really living out community.  Here are two responses.

Response # 1 (From the area)

What is community to you? 

Response # 2 (From out of state)