We Need Each Other
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14 ESV)
This time change and I have not gotten along well. The other night, during one of my nightly middle-of-the-night wake up sessions, I began praying about my quite extensive list of things in Christianity that bother me.
I fretted in prayer over false teachers, really bad books, theologically questionable movies and mystical new age bordering devotionals. I realized as I prayed I felt isolated, judgmental and quite frankly unhappy. While praying, God gentle allowed me to see I had lost my joy in being in fellowship with others because of my withdrawn attitude.
In addition, I realized I spend too much time reading critical analysis of this that and the other and had neglected time in God’s word. I was disengaging in a couple of different areas that are so important to the Christian walk
We are not all always going to agree. I have to reconcile the fact that just because someone liked a book or a person that I might have an issue with doesn’t mean we can’t have meaningful and fruitful relationship with each other. The more time I spend reading God’s word, the more I see how much I truly needed to work on this. Staying grounded in God’s word and cultivating relationships with other believers in Christ go hand in hand. God created the church and body of believers of edify and lift each other up. Too often, we focus on tearing each other down.
I’m so thankful the Lord allowed me to see this point of contention in my life. Now, it is time to begin working on correcting it. I can begin by redirecting my time from reading discernment type blogs/books/posts to more focused and concentrated Bible study. I also need to become re-involved in fellowship with my brother’s and sister’s in Christ.
The words to Sanctus Real’s Song, “We Need Each Other” rings true for me so much right now. Its time to stop fighting, stop nit-picking and begin growing spiritually together by focusing on solid fellowship that is rooted in God’s word. To close, here are a few verses from Scripture that affirm God’s plan is to have fellowship with each other:
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 ESV)
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 ESV)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
(James 5:16 ESV)
In Christ Alone,
Dana
Amen, amen. Very well said.
Dana, it is so true we too often focus on the divide than on common grounds. Do I agree with all I read and hear? Of course not, but which His Word by my side, I can discern what is truth and what is not. I agree, there are some misguided teachings, but I think that we need to be gentle in correction and we should not withdraw from fellowship (although I have done it myself).