Don't Go It Alone

Contributed by:

Becky Johnson

women's:life director

   

It’s been an interesting year at our house. A year filled with surgeries, recoveries and trying to move forward. Through it all, we have seen and felt what it’s like to be included in authentic community. We’ve seen and felt what it’s like to not have to go through difficulties alone…we’ve experienced community!

This past weekend we continued our new series, LIFE, in which we’re taking a look at the four Life Values. This week we looked at the “I” in LIFE which means “Included in Authentic Community”.  Pastors Tyler Ward and Eric Dunaway talked with us about how community helps us go from HERE to THERE…HERE being where we are today and THERE being where God wants to take us.

They talked about how community helps us go…

·         From COMPLACENCY to COMMITMENT through ACCOUNTABILITY.

·         From HYPOCRISY to TRANSPARENCY through AUTHENTICITY.

·         From JUDGMENT to UNDERSTANDNG through ACCEPTANCE.

·         From VULNERABILITY to SECURITY through ASSURANCE.

If you put a little thought into it, you might recall times where you’ve allowed yourself to become isolated from others and the relationships they offer. Maybe you’ve retreated to a place of complacency and settling for less than your best. Maybe you’ve gone through life pretending to be who you’re not or where you’ve allowed judgment and criticism to be a part of who you are. Community takes you from here to there …out of isolation and complacency …out of pretending …out of judgment …and into commitment, transparency, understanding and security. My family has experienced all of this in our difficult last year. Our community has prayed for us, encouraged us and provided for us. They’ve been the hands and feet of Jesus to us this year! Without a community of believers, we would have felt discouraged and very alone.

God uses community to remind us that we are not alone, that we can do this life thing together…that we really can get from HERE (wherever that is for you) to THERE (wherever God wants to take you).

Think about…

·         Where is your HERE currently?

·         Evaluate how open you are to God moving you to your THERE?

·         In what ways do you isolate yourself from community? In what ways can you make changes to allow yourself to be known by a community of others?

·         Pathway has many opportunities for community. Are you engaged in a group environment? Check out the many Life Group options at pccfw.org for ways to engage with others in community.