Community and Communication

THIS WEEK I went to the first meeting of ten weeks of Life Group with my friend Jenny White. A Life Group, or 'small group', is a group of a few friends who meet regularly to support each other and learn about God together. My group met at Five Guys on Saturday.

Near the end of the meeting we prayed in a circle, taking turns praying for the person to our right. I prayed for my friend Nani Cameron, who was worried about going to work later that day because she knew her boss was going to be keeping an extra-careful eye on her performance. I prayed Jesus would be there working at the restaurant with her, helping her to do better than well enough. Today I am very happy because Nani told me that God answered my group's prayer and hers: her boss took her aside to commend her on her work, and said she had done very well.

Life Groups are useful because they allow Christians to be a part of a community of believers. We can have accountability for our actions, helping us to grow, and we can both help people and be helped by them through prayer and shared wisdom.

Something God has been telling me this week is that it is important not to try to do Christian life alone. We need help from Him and from our friends. We need both a quiet time to rest and learn from Him and a time of communication with others who will help us to grow. I look forward to having that kind of spiritually beneficial communication with my sisters in Christ in my Life Group.

Earlier this week I opened up my Bible and found Isaiah 30. I almost turned the page away from it, but I stopped when the first verse caught my eye and spoke to me.

Isaiah 30:1 "'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the Lord, 'who take cousel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin.'"

This verse refers to the Israelites' trusting in Egypt, a strong political force at the time, rather than in God for security. They did not ask God for direction, but sought to find strength in an earthly force. I realize that in my prayers I have asked for God's help, but sometimes in my actions I'm not always looking around for the opportunities He wants me to take. This verse reminds me that whatever decisions we make, we need to act within God's will. This can mean deciding not to watch a funny TV show with dirty content - a decision I failed to make earlier this week.

In this chapter God tells the people that if they would have faith in Him and obey Him instead of trying to accomplish things with earthly strength, He would be gracious toward them. He loves repentant hearts, and He is full of extravagant mercy. This reminded me of the importance of making decisions within His will, after praying and reading from His Word for direction.

I have been praying about whether I should go on a mission trip to Peru with some members of my Youth Group in June. I want to go unless He doesn't want me to. This morning I went to an informational meeting concerning this trip. I feel really excited about this trip, and even about making calls and sending letters to help raise the $1700 I'll need to go. I feel like I'm not getting a "No," so I'll keep praying for direction and for the whole trip, and we'll see what amazing things God does. He already has miracles planned out perfectly.

I'm reminded every time I see a flock of birds flying that God has a good plan for our lives. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus says "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" I celebrate the fact that God has known from eternity to eternity about every breath we would ever take. It is important that we both trust Him and communicate with Him in all situations. One of my favorite verses, Philippians 4:6, says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

In addition to communicating with God and accepting His way as the best way, we also need to communicate with other, like-minded people to help us to continue to grow. A verse that is often used when talking about Life Groups is Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

The importance of a community of believers can often be underestimated. It is good to have a quiet time to be alone with God, to pray and read the Bible, to take notes and think. But it's also good to be with God with others, to discuss the Bible and the things God reveals to us. Proverbs 18:1 really spoke to me this week: "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgement."

After all, sometimes if we get an idea into our heads that is misguided or needs refinement, it can be hard to get correction if we do not seek or accept the advice of others. God can use our friends to help us and bless us in many beautiful ways. Proverbs 18:24 says "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." God did not call us to go it alone, but to be a Body of Believers, the Body of Christ, blessing each other and teaching each other, as in Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:19-20 that our prayers become even more powerful when we pray together in agreement: "[19] Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

This reminds me of how He has answered my prayers for Nani, and how He answers so many prayers all the time. I am grateful for my sisters and brothers in Christ, who share the same heavenly Father, and for the direction of His Spirit.