In an ever-connected world, we are living ever more isolated from one another. You have heard about being lonely in a crowd. This is becoming more of a reality every day.
But God gives us people as a gift. He created us to live in community. He put other people in your life to help you experience the abundant life he desires for you. Consider the following verse:
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)
He brings other people alongside us so we can be a mutual benefit to each other. There are times when others will be there to help me on my journey. And there are times for me to be there for them to help them on their journey. So why do we fail to experience true community?
Pride
We don’t want to ask for help because we don’t want to admit we need help. It takes humility to ask for help. I have to admit I don’t have all the answers and I don’t have it all figured out. This can be a hard thing for proud people.
False Pride
On the other end of pride is what I would call false pride. This is where I recognize I need help, but don’t want to ask for help because I don’t want to be a bother. I don’t want to put people out. We make the decision for other people that they are too busy to help us. By failing to ask for help, we are taking away an opportunity for another person to serve.
Snake bitten
We don’t trust other people. Maybe you have an experience in the past where you got burnt. You put your trust in another person and they let you down. You don’t want to be burned again, so you put up a wall and don’t let people in.
Don’t see the benefit
Maybe you have a task you believe can do it better on our own. You can do it faster and more efficiently without involving anyone else. Going alone can work well in the short term but we miss out on the long term benefits of working together with others. We can do so much more together than we could ever do alone.
Too Busy
The busier we become the less time we have for quality relationships. We may have hundreds and thousands of acquaintances, but few true friends. We may think that we don’t have the time. But the busier and more complex our lives become the more we need authentic relationships.
What do I do?
So you ask the question – where do I go from here? How do I invest in other people and allow other people to invest in me?
Start with the people you already know. Who can you help? The best way to make a friend is to be a friend. You already know people who need you to be their friend. Don’t look for anything in return. Just simply love them. What I have discovered is that those who selflessly serve others have no shortage of people to support them. God will supply when we faithfully serve him and others.
A great starting point the Church. The Church is the family of God. The Church is not a building, but it is a people. The Church is designed to be a community of believers who are working together to further God’s Kingdom. If you are not invested in a community of believers you are missing out on an important calling in your life. Church is not about showing up on Sunday morning. It is working together to further God’s purposes in our own lives and the lives of others.
Questions for Reflection
- What are the benefits of authentic relationships?
- What prevents us from investing in other people?
- How do we build quality relationships with others that are of a benefit?
- Share your comments.
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