So I have this tiny little brown spider that lives in my shower. He seems to always stay in the same area, and doesn’t move much. I blow a puff of air on him every now and then to make sure he’s still alive.
I got to thinking that a lot of people handle interpersonal relationships this way. “She lives her life, and I live mine.” Or “We just leave each other alone. I don’t bother them, and they don’t bother me.” Every so often we’ll say a quick “Hi” as we pass by at work or maybe Walmart, but we don’t really stop to engage the person. We know they’re still breathing. No harm, no foul, right?
Absolutely wrong! From the beginning of the Bible God says we are not meant to live alone (Genesis 2:18). Even though this passage is about His creation of Eve to be a help meet for Adam, I think it applies to everyone. Single, married, kids, no kids, workplace, work from home. You name it. We are not meant to go through life alone. We were created for relationship! Not just with our Creator, but with the rest of His creation.
Jesus commanded us on more than one occasion to share the gospel with others from the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for witnessing to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Jesus spent His whole life, at least the parts recorded in Scripture, ministering to people. From healing, to forgiving, to feeding, sometimes even just talking to an outcast. His ministry was about people and building relationships.
Right before He ascended to Heaven, He told us the Holy Spirit would give us power to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. How important must something be for it to be the last instruction you give before you leave the earth?
Are you trying to go through life alone? Are you turning a blind eye to those around you that you could pour into? Do you need to be poured into? Find a small group, find a mentor, but I encourage you with this: You are not alone. Ever. We are called to share the message of Christ.
~Ashleigh
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
*Canvas has begun a new mentorship program called Reflect. If you are interested in being a mentor or a mentee, contact angela@mycanvaschurch.com or text mentor to 816-WIRE for more info.
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Ashleigh, I love how God uses everyday things to get our attention in illustrating His principles at work in our lives. Community is the entire point of the church because we are meant to be family. Take one hot coal out from the fire, placing it off by itself and its heat dies vs. remaining hot with the group. I like your challenge to keep our eyes and ears open, becoming more aware of the opportunities for service and fellowship, through which the lion’s share of His blessings come to us!
I’m fortunate in the sense that I do not feel alone in my life. I have great support from friends and family. I’ll admit howerever, I catch myself turning a blind eye from time to time. I can probably do a better job paying forward the support that others are to me.
Thank you for this post. I am one of those people that can be in a room full of people and still feel alone. But, being connected to community is essential for overcoming any of those feelings.