Make It Out Alive: A 5 Day Devotional by Kristian StanfillSample

### We Need People Life is complicated. We learn early on that our time on this earth will be full of joy and sorrow, ups and downs, mountaintop views, and valleys filled with shadows. There are many uncertainties in life, and God did not intend for us to face them all alone. He gives us the gift of people and invites us into a relational way of living. He does this because it mirrors the relational dynamics of His triune nature: Father, Son, Holy Spirit- three persons, yet one God. From the beginning, community was a part of God’s nature and design for mankind. That is why the Scripture commonly refers to those who believe in God as a people. “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord, your God, has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 7:6 God didn’t have to do it this way. He could have singled out one man or woman, but instead, He chose a group of people. There is something about communal living and connection that God knows we need. If we are to reflect His glory to the world, live a holy life, and finish the race that He’s marked out for us to run, we must link arms with others. There have been times in my life that I have felt it’s all up to me. In years past, I thought I had to be the hero, and if I involved anyone else, it showed weakness. This way of living left me isolated, alone, and vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. But when I reached out past myself and let others in, I found a strength I didn’t have before. When I was weak, I could lean on my brothers for support and strength. When my brothers were weak, they could rely on me for support and strength. Through this community, we call one another up to the truth of who we are in Christ. That is why the Scripture says: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” – Romans 12:4-5 God has given us the gift of community to help us through times of trial but also to help us grow into the men and women that He made us to be. You don’t need to attempt to be the hero because the truth is, none of us can do this alone. We need people.