Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…
– I Thessalonians 5:11
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
This past weekend on our single adult retreat, we spent a lot of time talking about community, what it is and why it is important. Chris pointed out that there are a lot of “one anothers” in the Bible. Our faith isn’t meant to be lived out alone. All of us, whether married or single need community. It is where we learn and live out faith, where we are challenged and encouraged by the testimony of others.
As single adults, it is easy to isolate ourselves. When we are not part of a community, it becomes easier not to show up on Sundays because no one will know we are gone. Being part of a community requires intentionality and sometimes, we just plain don’t feel like working at it. I have a picture in my mind of a herd of zebras and gazelle in Africa. When they become ill or hurt and drift behind the herd as it moves, they become easy targets for predators. I think the same is true for us. When we try to do life on our own, we become easy targets for Satan to whisper lies into our ears.
I encourage you today to be intentional about being part of a community. I don’t know exactly what that will look like for you. I do know that it will mean letting your guard down and being vulnerable, but I believe in the long run, you will find yourself strengthened.