The Power of Community

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up..."

The Power of Community

This week's devotions are written by my friend, Becky Dean, our Missions Director at Great Hills Baptist Church.

- Pastor Danny

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds."

(Hebrews 10:24)

A few years ago, before a publishing contract was in sight, I attended a writing conference with friends. I have a small group (eight of us total) who meet online monthly for support. We encourage each other in our writing journeys, hold each other accountable to goals, offer advice, help each other brainstorm, and more. After several years, these people have become like family to me. We live in seven states and three time zones, but we talk almost every day, and not only about writing now, but also our lives and families, and we pray for each other.

At this conference, the one time a year I get to see this group in person, God gave me a thought. I realized that I wouldn't trade a whole shelf of published books for the friends I've made. Even if I never got published, they were the bigger blessing and made the whole journey worth it. (Though I won't deny that I'm very relieved I have had books published since then!)

Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verses 9-10 and 12, says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up... Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

This group has helped me through hard times, and I hope I've done the same for them. We celebrate with each other, and we enjoy spending time together. I'm thankful to have a similar community in the local church as well. As believers, God wants us to experience these types of relationships.

The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 10, verses 24-25, says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Writing is a solitary endeavor: it's just you, the ideas in your head, and the blank page. That's why it's so important to find people who understand. This is even more true in our Christian walks. As believers, we need each other. We can't do life alone. Being a believer in this world can be lonely. We need the fellowship, encouragement, advice, and support of others, to help each other up when we stumble and to spur each other on to continue living for Christ.

I urge you to make sure you're involved in a local church, not just to warm a pew on Sunday, but to be the kind of believer who seeks out and fosters this type of close relationship. People often ask our group how we came together, because they're seeking something similar, and I truly believe it was a gift from God. If you're lacking this community, ask Him to provide. He doesn't want us to be alone, so that's a prayer He will answer.