Day 17: Faith Is Personal, Not Private

Faith is deeply personal, but it is never meant to be private. God told His people, “I am the Lord your God,” underscoring the personal nature of His relationship with them. But He gave the Ten Commandments to a community, not to a collection of individuals.

The Enlightenment emphasized individual rights above all else, and while this was valuable, it also left us with the mistaken idea that faith is something we can pursue in isolation. The reality is that we need one another. Others are impacted by our relationship with God, and we are affected by theirs.

In Christ, we are formed into a new community: the Church, the Body of Christ. It is in the Church that we worship together, support one another, and grow in holiness. When we gather, we remind one another that our faith is not lived out alone. It is lived together, as God intended.

Questions

• How has someone else’s faith journey encouraged or challenged your own?
• In what ways can you encourage someone else by sharing your faith within community?