Created for Community

Once upon a time, I thought friendship concerns were just for little kids and that they were meant to be outgrown.

  Man.  One sentence into my fairytale, and I’ve already gotten it all wrong!

  Friendship.  I have been challenged to think on this topic from a Biblical perspective even now.  Friendship may seem like a rather insignificant subject, and in many ways I do think we take it too far and resort to a childish view of it.  But the truth is, God wired it in us from the very beginning to want community.  We find all the way back in the Garden of Eden that God created humans to desire and need community to thrive.

  “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” – Genesis 2:18, KJV

  Of course, this particular passage is talking about a marriage relationship.  But the point is, Adam was ALONE.  He had no one; there was not a single other human being on the planet.  The absence of human companionship was the first thing God declared NOT good. 

  Up until this point, creation seems to be a whirlwind.  Day after day of it was good, it was good, it was good.  And then, BAM!  Everything comes to a screeching halt.

  Suddenly, it wasn’t “good” anymore.

  Everything else God had made was good in and of itself, but the creation of humankind was different.  Before the Creator could declare that creation “good,” He had to make something else.  He looked out over all His marvelous work and, with compassion in His heart, decided to give His one lone human the gift of fellowship.

  Isn’t it incredible how God created humans to be with each other?  We weren’t created to be hermits.  We weren’t created to do life alone.  The “introvert” label doesn’t mean we aren’t social beings.  God intends for us to have community with each other.

  “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, KJV

  God desires for community to build us up.  He created Eve to be a helper for Adam.  If you read on in Ecclesiastes 4, you find this:

  “Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold chord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:11-12, KJV

  God Himself, in the flesh, had 12 apostles.  Even He had a specific “circle of friends,” you could say.

  This post was short and to-the-point, and there is definitely much more to discuss on the topic of community, but I’ll leave you with this well-known verse today:

  “Iron sharpeneth iron; so the man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” – Proverbs 27:17, KJV

  It is God’s design for us to have fellowship one with another!  Isn’t that something to take joy in?

  Today, what is one way you can build community and encourage another believer?