Stay With The Pack

We are called to be in “community” with other believers, but sometimes that’s a tall order.  Especially when:

• Your small group fails to support you during a hardship
• Your church fails to respond when you reach out
• Hurtful comments from “Christians” get back to you

I humbly suggest that it’s time to get over it.  🙂

1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 tells us that “He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.“

A huge benefit of “community” is that we receive encouragement to continue standing and fighting when our lives veer down a path we never intended or desired to walk.

That is God’s design.

But for many of us, what we got instead of that support was rejection, criticism or an “I told ya so.”  Then we… in the name of revenge or self-preservation… used that as our “out” of fellowship.

By doing that, we unknowingly bought into the world’s suggestion to go it alone.  The messages are:

• You can do it!
• It’s all up to you!
• You hold all the power within!

Don’t believe those statements because they are lies from Hell.   Without a doubt, there is power in community but the enemy doesn’t want for you to believe it.

I’ve seen first hand what happens when you walk away from your support system.

Early on in our marriage, Wayne and I struggled to find the way (and the desire) to make it work.  It was ugly.  We were both so broken and hadn’t yet allowed God to get in there and heal us.  Because of that unfinished business with our Creator, our ability to save the marriage seemed too overwhelming.

But God…

He had us in a small group of men and women who loved us through it.  They FOUGHT for us.  Literally fought for us.  The men met with Wayne in hopes of speaking truth into him.  The women prayed over me and counseled me to stand and fight.

Regardless, divorce seemed inevitable.

Wayne will tell you himself that he continued to walk farther and farther away from this Divinely-appointed support.  He was separating himself from the pack because he thought he knew better.  What was painfully obvious to us… completely blinded him.

He played right into Satan’s plan.

You see, one of the reasons we are called into community by God is that it protects us from the enemy.   John 10:10 tells us that Satan comes ONLY to kill and destroy. 

So, when you step out of community and into individuality… you take a step away from God.  And when you take a step away from God… you become a sitting duck.

God snatched Wayne back into His loving hands, restoring him to be 10x more a man than before.  And the men from our small group were there to welcome him home… back into true friendship and fellowship.

Now, Wayne is a community-lovin’ junkie.  🙂

My sweet husband never meets a stranger and people are drawn to him because… he just loves people.  He loves God and loves the community where God has planted him.

He no longer strays from the pack.  He knows the importance of community… both to receive encouragement and to give it.

Look, if you find yourself backing away from Christian community… watch out!  Maybe you are just now seeing it?  Wake up!

Walk Run back to it!

• The pack is not perfect… neither are you.
• The pack has hurt you… God tells us to forgive.
• The pack has rejected you (shame on them)… then find another pack.

Make no mistake… Community is essential and YOU are called to it!

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