18: I need community!

Taking my own advice on the importance of how you view the church, I recently asked a match about his beliefs and found he considered the Lord to be his only necessary accountability. In replying (and ending the e-mailing), it was good for me to put my own thoughts into words, and what I wrote is especially true after just returning from my church community group! Here is my answer in part: 

I'll make this personal. I need community because my heart can grow cold, even though I know from 20+ years of walking with the Lord what is right. Hearing others' fervor stirs me up to get back on the path. I need community because I can't see everything in Scripture. Hearing what God is revealing to others enhances my own understanding of the Word. I need community because I need the support of my brothers' and sisters' prayers and the wisdom of those who have walked with Jesus (and in life) longer than me to speak into my life situations. Basically, I need community because I do not trust myself, and I am not capable of running my life with just me and God because God never intended for me to run my life with just me and Him. To Adam He gave Eve. To individual Hebrews He gave the whole set-apart nation of Israel, messy as they were. And to believers in Jesus, our Lord has given us, not only His Holy Spirit and the Scriptures, but fellow believers who, although they might not have the same convictions about entertainment or education or dress or even politics as us, have much to offer us and truly are fellow believers.

How can I trust someone to stay on the straight and narrow if they do not submit themselves to the advice and correction of anyone except themselves?

 

photo from my very enjoyable hike with friends

Not only do I desperately need community spiritually, but I'm realizing I desperately need to hang out in more groups to grow socially! After hiking with a favorite girl friend and her boyfriend on Saturday, I realized, despite having a wonderful time, that sometimes I annoy myself in how I interact with others! And I wondered if her albeit very kind boyfriend was secretly wondering how I thought I was going to get a guy being how I am! So, my conclusion is that I spend too much time by myself and need to get out more so I can be refined! Yay for refinement!

Isn't it funny how we think we know who we are until we actually take ourselves out in public?