Community is so incredibly valuable these days. It's such a precious find. Do you have a group of people in your life that you can lean on, learn from, help out, confide in, pray with, encourage, motivate and/or be motivated by?
So many times in my adult life (during and after college) I have had to make a choice about what amount of time in my daily living will be set apart for spending time with friends. I know that time with people that are friends is super important to my success in my work life, my family life and in my life-life. ha!
What amount of time each day do you allow yourself to spend with friends....those who will naturally invest in you-encouragement and quality time.....and those in whom you will naturally invest encouragement and quality time? Its important---whether you are a keep things to myself kinda gal or a share my thoughts with anyone and everyone kinda gal. Both types of gals NEED community to thrive. More than money, recognition, fame, etc., having a community of folks that care about you and check in on you is one of the richest things on this planet. I don't have much wealth AT ALL (in American standards), but I am RICH with a community of people I care about and who care about me. My community is my church and other peers in my town. It is full of folks who care for me and my family. Only a small few of that group are really close friends, but my church as a whole is a HUGE blessing to me and my family. We can go out into our "work" week (funny saying that as a minister to college students) with confidence that there is a group of folks all over our city who "have our backs".....who will be there for us when times get tough/when times are fantastic.
The next thought on this is that we can't just sit at home and wait for a community of people to come to us. We must continue pressing in to the world we live in. We must be willing to get "dirty" so to say; get involved in the lives of those we work with, go to church with, etc. Community comes to us when we open up our hearts and minds to serving the people in our world of influence. When we decide each day to invest God's love and kindness into the lives of people in our work place, and in our family's sphere of influence. We cannot just sit and wait. The world is waiting for hope. And hope comes many times through kindness and friendship.
We can be the friend someone needs, thus promoting hope to rise up in them. And if you are a believer in Jesus, you can share the story of God's love for the world, in your own creative way, to the people in your sphere of influence and they will hear of the greatest hope there ever is or ever will be. JESUS.
Community comes with sacrifice, too. We can't live this American dream and have true genuine community. The American dream is all about YOU. But if an American wants true community, that person needs to be focused on others and not on themselves as the center of everything---sacrificing their own desires for the better-ment of others. (this isn't the case at all times of the day, everyday, but you know what I mean.) The me centered mentality is very difficult to thrive in a true community of folks.
The ideal solution to this epidemic problematic thinking (American Dream-"have it your way") is to believe Jesus as Savior and Lord and love Him with all of your mind, heart, body and soul. Since He is God of all things and the Creator of each person's hearts and desires, Jesus is the key to having the dream life....to having a great community around us. Sacrificing OUR wants and dreams for the joy of others will ultimately bring us joy, too, because we will be living like the One who gave His life for us on the cross--sacrificed His title of King of kings and Lord of lords. He, Christ Jesus, earns all rights of the greatest fame and fan-club of all time.
Stay knit together with people in your community that the Lord has or is giving you. As usually spoken on this blog: Get real, woman! Live honestly with those in your sphere of influence. Watch how barriers will fall between people because they see your honesty....your integrity...your genuine life that shines out of you. Watch how many gals will flock to you because they've never known someone to be as open about life/joy and struggle, pain and death. They.....we all long for truth....real-ness in our world. (yeah, yeah,....I know my grammar STINKS. sorry.) So, it's okay to show pain, share hurts and burdens with others. It's a super fabulous way to live.....risking your true identity being known by other human beings. Yikes! haha! Be the woman who the Creator made you to be. Be free and embrace community.
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