As my relationship with God has start to develop into a deep intentional relationship. I have realized the importance of having a Godly community. I was having a conversation with my mom and coauthor of this blog, we were discussing how one of my brothers was going through a difficult time period and really is alone outside of her. I live in Texas. So for the most part he has no covering.
That is a difficult place to be when you are looking for a breakthrough, waiting on God, but doing it alone…….this is a perfect space for the enemy to start feeding you lies….. Why Does the Devil want us in isolation? Satan would love nothing more than to keep you in isolation. That is where he will deceive you by telling you “you’re not good enough,” “that God doesn’t love you”, ”think of all the horrible things you have done, why would anyone love you”, Don’t believe his lies or your own lies telling yourself things are easier without community. You need relationships!
I realized this. When I was going through my depression, I really wanted people to be there for me, however at the same time I isolated everyone. Allowing the devil to constantly feed me lies and cause me to fall deeper into my depression daily. My mom ignored all my efforts to push her away and helped me heal.
So why is a Godly community important?
Community challenges you to be more like Jesus ( it is your accountability partner) My Godly community reminds me to not go to certain places, do certain things, how to approach situations that may be bothering me in a Godly manner. They are constantly pushing me to walk in the spirit daily. When I seem frustrated with the things around me, they remind that God’s will for my life is far more important than my fleshy wants. God’s word reminds us that we are put in relationships in order to encourage one another in our pursuit of God and his Kingdom. It’s within the context of community that we are given the opportunity to be developed as followers of Christ.
Community meets practical need. Community is a place where we come to get our physical needs met. We need to learn to let down our walls and ask for help from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Whether we need someone to pick up medicine for us when we’re sick, cook us a meal at the end of a long week, or help us carry a financial burden – the body of Christ was made to support and love one another in practical ways. We can learn a lot about love within the exchange of practical needs and it helps take away that heavy burden that you may feel like you are carrying alone.
Community carries you emotionally. We are given the responsibility to support each other in hard times, and to carry one another’s burdens. As much as we need to be available for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we also need to have the courage to ask them to come alongside of us when we’re the ones in need of support, prayer, or a shoulder to cry on. Recently my mom felt so heavy about a situation with my brother I mentioned earlier and she said how her best friend just begin to pray for her. How her sister came to help her with some of things that was overwhelming her. It feels so good to have people that you can depend on, I know when I was dealing with issues with my daughter one of my best friends said “I’m going to extend my fast and pray for your daughter as well”, and it took an immediate strain off of me. At times we can feel so alone, so having that Godly community is vital when you are feeling broken. I never prayed and worship so hard when my friend was in a custody battle with her children, it was during this time that I discovered the power of both worship and prayer on me own. God was good because she got the victory and I had a breakthrough spiritually from that point on. Being that open and vulnerable with one another truly is what a community is! We’re called to strengthen those who are weak and to and encourage those who are down and out. Community calls us out of our self-centeredness and self-absorption by giving us the responsibility to look outward.
Community reveals your gifts and talents. Within the context of community we’re given the opportunity to discover our gifts and our talents, and to use them to bless others. We’re each given a very specific role in the body of Christ and it is within these relationships that our roles can be used to glorify God to the fullest. Naturally I am an encourager and if you are in my community God gives me things to drop in your spirit about your gifts and talents. I thank God that one of my best friends is actively pursuing a career in entertainment God’s way….because of a conversation we shared. That’s what it is about pushing one another to be greater in Christ.
Community offers opportunities for confession which leads to healing. There’s power in confession. It gives us the chance to bring to light the things that have been holding us back in darkness. Within community, we’re given the opportunity to get real with one another, to confess our sins, and to break free from the things that are holding us back from living God’s best life. True community requires transparency, authenticity, and confession. I have shared some of my deepest shameful sins with my Godly community and discovered freedom and breakthrough from it.
God never intended for any of us to live the Christian life alone.
Remember the bible says “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” – Proverbs 18:1
Instead remembering :
We can serve and love one another, call each other out, and be there for each other in ways that this world will never understand. And we can do all of that because we are family. We are family, for eternity.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25
Sincerely a sista on a sofa,
Kendal
Sistas On The Sofa 