Find Rest: A Women's Plan For Lasting Peace In A Busy LifeSample

Created For Community We were not created to do life alone. God looked at His creation and said “it is good,” with one exception: it was absolutely not good for man to be alone. So God made someone with whom he could “do life.” Then, in the first ever small group, God Himself walked in the garden with the man and his wife. Over and over in the Bible, God stresses that He designed us to love and support each other. We are directed (not asked) to live in community with other followers of Christ. When I was living in Boston, a pastor shared a story about good friends who had moved to California. One night the pastor and his wife were awakened at 3 a.m. with an urgent phone call from their friends, asking for prayer. Raging wildfires were threatening their home and community. From their window, they could see the glow of thousands of acres burning, the fire advancing quickly as they raced to evacuate their home. The pastor and his wife got out of bed and knelt on the cold floor, praying urgently for an hour for the protection of their friends, their home, and everyone in the area. In the end, although the fire consumed thousands of acres and several neighborhoods, the broader community—and their friends’ house— was spared. The homeowner called the pastor and thanked him profusely for being a true friend. The pastor answered, “No, thank you. You were the one being a true friend. You thought enough of our friendship that you were willing to wake us up in the middle of the night to ask us to pray. You were good enough friends that you were willing to ‘inconvenience’ us.” Our lives can be consumed by wildfires—personal family struggles, having too much on our plates, difficulties managing our kids or careers, health concerns, and financial strains. We can see the fires on the horizon, advancing toward us, and our chest tightens as life comes at us so fast. But God has created community for us to call on— even in the middle of the night. Are you willing to inconvenience a fellow believer in order to live in authentic community? That is what God has designed for you. And your willingness to do so will be a blessing to you both. Create Life-Giving Relationships