It's no secret that we are extremely social creatures. Biological evidence shows that a lack of communication with other people remarkably alters our developmental process as humans, such as stunting our growth, impairing our speech, and even increases our stress levels. However, merely engaging with others on an occasional basis is not enough.
A community is something that you often see every college campus, ministry, organization, etc. That’s because we all know that being apart of a community is much more intimate, personal, and warming then just saying you are apart of some club.
The Bible touches on the importance of community often. It is no secret that God never intended for us to live in isolation. From the very beginning, after He created Adam, God states:
“It is not good for the man to be alone.” -Genesis 2:18
I mean even God isn’t alone! He lives in a community within the Trinity, or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Think about that! That’s how important community is to God!
Here’s the thing: yes, it is important to have your own private relationship with God; however, he makes it perfectly clear that he intends for us to have deep personal relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well. We are designed by him to crave deep connections, conversations, and every other component that makes up a healthy community. I personally have seen how a healthy community can impact a person's life and in the end, resulting in an eternity they can look forward to.
One of the best things about finding a community is being able to gain exposure to people who are at different stages in their walk through life. This is especially true in regards to your faith. I could not stress enough the importance in getting plugged into a good community. It doesn't matter where you are in your faith - whether you are a brand spanking new baby Christian or you grew up in the church - if you don't have a healthy church-based community then you are at a greater risk of wandering off the path God has designed for your best interest.
Being a college student, I have witnessed loads of my fellow Christian brothers and sisters lose themselves in all of the temptations that come with growing up. These people never made an effort to accept the invitation to be apart of a community that would genuinely help them grow as a person. The first step of becoming a part of a healthy community is giving it a chance, and trusting that voice inside you saying that this is the place where you belong. All you have to do is have the courage to trust that voice and put aside your worldly desires.
Surrounding yourself with people who are going to sharpen and better prepare you is important. So, I encourage you to go out and find that community that is willing to stand by your side when trouble arises and are capable of helping you carry your cross at times when you feel like it’s too much to bear. Find the people who are fueled by Jesus, directed by the Word of God, and live their lives with the end goal in mind. Once you do find that community, there is nothing this world can throw at you that you will not be equipped to handle.
"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. " - Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)
