Christian Meat for Christian Muscles

The Wisdom of Community. Many people like to think they can go it alone --that they can be self sufficient. And while confidence and independence are positive qualities, being part of a community provides distinct advantages unavailable to those who isolate themselves. But to best understand these advantages, one must first understand where community originated. Humankind is communal by nature --we have an innate yearning for relationship. This intense need for community exists because God made humans in His image (Gen. 1:27), and one aspect of God's nature is community. God is triune --one being characterized by three distinct persons --and the Trinity is the perfect example of community. The persons of the Trinity experience both unity and diversity, which are the two foundational elements of community. God is unified in that He is one being with one will and purpose, but He is diverse in that each person of the Trinity fulfills a different role. Just as obeying God's commandments and following His principles yields blessings, mimicking God's unity and diversity within community yields blessings. So the human need for community is derived from our creator. Because of sin, human community doesn't always function properly. But when it does, community offers many advantages. The Advantages of Community Power --When people unite around a common goal, their individual levels of ability are combined. What one person cannot accomplish alone, the group can easily achieve. Disunity, on the other hand, completely strips a group of its power. On a rowboat, the power that propels the boat through the water comes from the unified effort of the rowers. The speed and endurance of the team far exceeds that of any one member. If the team lacks unity --each man rowing at his own pace, some forward, some backward --the boat will lack momentum. The same is true in every community effort: unity is the power that propels a group towards achieving its goals. Whether the task be moving heavy furniture, raising funds, or spreading the Gospel of Christ, when people work together, more and greater things can be done. The power produced through unity is one of community's greatest advantages. Synergy --No two people are exactly alike: everyone has a unique combination of talents and skills. But each individual is limited to his or her particular sphere of ability. When a group combines their diverse skills and talents, however, the result is greater than what the individuals could have achieved alone. Houses, for instance, aren't built by a single type of laborer, but by many: architects, masons, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and others. The work of any single laborer may be impressive, but when these various laborers combine their diverse skills, the result is so much more impressive. Access to such diversity is the benefit of being part of a group. Every member brings something to the group that can help the other members. Fulfilment --Because humans are created with the need for community, one of the benefits of community is the fulfilment it provides. When God created man, He declared it was not good that man should be alone, and so He decided to make a helper fit for him (Gen. 2:18-24). People are meant to experience life together, and the emotional bonds created through community yield fulfilment. This fulfilment can take many forms. Some groups, such as fitness clubs or soup kitchens, address physical needs. Other forms of community, like support groups or a close circle of friends, help provide emotional fulfilment. And other groups, such as Bible study groups or the church as a whole, help meet spiritual needs. While a person can, to some extent, find individual fulfilment, no one can fully meet his or her own physical, emotional, and spiritual needs without community. Growth --According to Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Community enables people to help each other become better. But the benefit of growth is actually the application of several other advantages gained by banding together with others. The elements of community that inspire growth are support, counsel, accountability, confrontation, and discipline. Support --One of the main reasons people seek to be part of community is a desire for support. And one of the main advantages of community is the support it offers. Solomon said, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) Counsel -- Another of the basic advantages to community is combined wisdom and experience. Even King Solomon, as wise as he was, recognized the need for counsel. In Proverbs 11:14, Solomon writes, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” He reiterates this point in Proverbs 15:22: “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.” Just as individuals bring diverse talents and skills to a group, they also bring a unique knowledge base and set of experiences. This combined wisdom available to the group benefits each member. Accountability --Another advantage of being part of a group is the opportunity for accountability. When one member has a problem or struggle, he can bring this issue to the group. Along with the support and counsel he may receive, he'll be held responsible by the others. And with the others holding him accountable, he will be more motivated to overcome challenges. One of the reasons programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are able to help addicts is the accountability built into the community. When one member falters, the others are able to hold him accountable to his goal of overcoming addiction.