The Power of Community in Life's Difficult Seasonsనమూనా

The Danger of Isolation We are often challenged in our day-to-day lives with overwhelming circumstances –– some feel like never-ending valleys of pain and disappointments, and we long to see the summit of joy, peace, and success once more. From our first breath to the day we arrive at our new home, our journey has the support of others. When we look at God’s design from the very beginning in Genesis 1:26,28 (NKJV) and Genesis 2:18 (NKJV), we understand that creation itself started in a community, and we were then blessed and purposed to grow and flourish in a community. In Luke 15:11-24 (NKJV), Jesus tells us of a son who leaves his father and home and goes out on his own. While the setting shows us that he would not lack anything staying with his father, we also see how destructive his isolation and separation from a community was. At times, we may feel we just want to be on our own –– do things our way. Perhaps, we feel like the prodigal child who has made so many mistakes, we feel judged, scared, and unworthy, we cannot fathom being accepted or forgiven again. Maybe we have been hurt or offended by people and find it hard to trust anyone. The good news is, just as the father was waiting with open arms, there is always a community of people waiting to embrace and accept us just as we are. What are some of the dangers we can take away from this? 1. Being separated from our community, we do not have anyone to guide us or lead us in the right direction, both morally and spiritually. Proverbs 11:14 (NKJV) 2. Not having a community of like-minded believers means we do not have the support and comfort of people who can pray with us, exhorting and encouraging us through the hardships of life. People who are there to celebrate our victories and affirm us in our faith. Hebrews 3:13 (NKJV) 3. We can’t grow and mature spiritually without regularly feeding on each other through fellowship and gathering together. Ephesians 4:13(NKJV) 4. We become vulnerable to falling into temptation and perhaps even lead to a destructive path caused by sin. Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV) 5. Being alone leaves us feeling helpless, despondent, and abandoned. We need the love of people around us to dispel any doubt or fears we have. 1 John 4:18 (NKJV) 6. When we are alone, we can lose ourselves and make harmful life choices, but we prosper when we are in a family. Psalm 68:6 (NKJV) There is hope for you. No matter how dark yesterday was or the last few months have been, there is joy awaiting you. We sometimes need to listen to people's stories and take a page out of their life to see how blessed we are. This is why we need to be connected –– when we are united not divided, we grow our faith. Simply put, we are stronger together.