Last night in our community group we talked briefly about how groups can be a front door for people to get connected to the local church. The biggest affliction in our society, the thing that touches everybody at some point, is lonlieness. Lonliness is what leads people to make destructive decisions, it’s what leads to sexual addiction, it can lead to over eating, depression, etc. Loneliness is a force that will destroy you, and if you are alone no one will know about it.
I believe that there is a spiritual enemy that is working to get people to turn away from God and people. This enemy has been incredibly successful in the U.S. because we are a nation of individualistic minded people. We adore self-made men and women, we run from having to ask anyone for help, we really believe that we can succeed on our own. And if we can’t then we continue to buy into the lie that if we just try harder we, by oursleves, can make it happen.
We don’t know our neighbors, we don’t have community gathering spots, we isolate ourselves through entertainment. Loneliness runs rampant in our culture.
The only cure for loneliness that I have found is community. To know that you don’t have to do life alone is such a liberating realization. I don’t have to raise my kids alone. I don’t have to figure out how to be a great husband alone. I don’t have to follow Jesus alone. I can build relationships and community with people who can help me, encourage me and challenge me.
In the book of Genesis God created everything, said it was good. The only thing that he said was not good was man being alone. It’s not good. We need each other.
I love my community group. Kathy and I have been in three groups in a year and a half because our groups kept growing. Community is contagious. It fills a void in our lives.
Who are you doing life with?
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