Community
by Sharon Betters
Today’s Treasure
It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.
Genesis 2:18
Dear Friends,
Do you feel alone, lonely, forgotten, outside of the main stream of relationships? Social media seems designed to stir up all of those feelings as friends post pictures of their perfect families, exciting parties, amazing vacations and beautiful friendships.
Would it sound strange to hear that God created loneliness for a purpose? Remember how He said it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone? This was not a “oops – I messed up” moment. From before time began, God planned to create Eve as Adam’s completer. We are incomplete without one another.
But this doesn’t just apply to husbands and wives. God promised Abraham that out of Abram, this one man, He would build a family that numbered more than the sands of the sea or the stars in the sky. This community would be blessed and be a blessing. What a promise! God uses loneliness to drive us into that community.
Once I understood that God created community for more than meeting on Sundays, I realized that it is in the community, the family of God, that many of my needs are met. But it’s also the place where I learn how to serve others with joy.
I am excited to share with you one of those members of the community that has encouraged me in my own life journey. This week Christina Fox joins us in our What She Said! series. Christina is a prolific writer who received her undergraduate degree from Covenant College and her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She writes for a number of Christian ministries and publications including Revive Our Hearts, TGC, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and Ligonier Ministries. She is the content editor for enCourage and the author of several books, including her most recent - Closer Than a Sister: How Union with Christ Helps Friendships to Flourish.
Camp out in the scriptures Christina references and ask the Lord to open your eyes and heart to where you can offer life-giving community to others, as well as receive that same life-giving community yourself. As important as community is, sometimes challenging relationships make such community hard. That’s one reason theology matters. When we understand that community is a gift from God and designed as a place for us to experience His promises, then we are better equipped to persevere in our own pursuit of godly community. I am delighted that Christina challenges us to go beyond the warm fuzzies of relationships and encourages us to dig deep in our own pursuit of life-giving community.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
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Sharon W. Betters is author of Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness and co-author of Treasures of Faith. She is Director of Resource Development and co-founder of MARKINC.org, a non profit organization that offers help and hope to hurting people. Sharon enjoys quality time with her husband, children and fourteen grandchildren.
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Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.