Independence: the other side of the coin

It's an exciting yet, at times, uncomfortable truth: God didn't save us to be a bunch of individuals each following him in the way that seems best to us, he called us to be a community, passionate about sharing our lives with one another.

We are called to:

• Love one another (John 15:2)
• Devote ourselves to Scripture together (Acts 2:42)
• Teach those younger in the faith than us (Titus 2)
• Carry each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2)
• Spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
• Give sacrificially to whoever is in need (Acts 2:45)

And we can't do any of those things alone ... We need to know people deeply and love them sincerely by spending quality time with them regularly if these things are to be possible. There's no getting away from it, when we are truly authentic in our walk with the Lord, our lives are healthily enmeshed with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

That doesn't mean, of course, that we have to spend every moment of every day in the pockets of our fellow-believers. Jesus saw the need to pray privately on a regular basis (eg Matthew 14:23) - having space is no sin! But it does mean being willing to pass on the love and acceptance that Jesus has given us to the people we meet day by day, particularly those in our local congregation.

Doing so honours God who himself is community in unity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Doing so is good for us: it gives us the context of love, encouragement, provision, accountability and truth that we need to grow ever more like Jesus. And it's good for the unbelieving world - as they see us putting into action God's love and truth, people are drawn to the church (Acts 2:27).

Can you catch the vision?