So it’s month 2. And we are in Guatemala. And ministry is awesome.
And our whole squad is together.
Yep, you read that right….our whole squad. All 44 of us. In one space. Together. All. The. Time.
While it is really cool to get to be here with everyone and get to invest in the squad and spend time with other people besides my team, living in this tight knit of a community can get hard.
So in light of that, I thought I’d share 10 tips for living in community that have helped me. No, I certainly don’t know everything about living in community or everything about being united with those around me. But I have learned some things. So why not pass them on to others so they can start where I left off, so they can learn from my mistakes, so that collectively we can improve community living and share Christ simply by how we interact.
So here goes….
1. Don’t talk trash about each other.
You’re right, people are going to piss you off. They’ll make you mad. They’ll accidentally steal your seat, eat your food, “borrow” your laundry detergent, or use all the toilet paper. They’ll leave hair in the shower, leave clothes on the line, leave dirty dishes in the sink. IT IS BOUND TO HAPPEN. Last time I checked, we are all human. But that does not give us an excuse to run to our BFF’s and tell them how much Jodie is the dirtiest, grossest, messiest person you’ve ever met and that you just can’t stand to look at her another day. Even if Jodie is the dirtiest, grossest, messiest person ever, she’s still created in the image of God. Respect her and cherish her the same way you would Him.
James 4:11a “Brothers, do not slander one another.”
2. Put others before yourself.
If I’m focused on my needs and only my needs, then 1/44 people here are making sure my needs are met. If everyone focuses on each others’ needs, then 43/44 people are making sure my needs are met. Do the math. Okay, maybe you don’t like doing math…I’ll do it for you: that’s 43 times as many people fighting for you rather than fighting against you.
Philippians 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
3. Be accountable.
Tell people your struggles. Maybe that’s your teammates, maybe that’s your squad leaders, maybe that’s some random person on some other random team that just gets you. Why on earth should you walk through the fire alone when you’ve got 43 other people desperately wanting to fight for you and with you?! If you’ve got the resources at your front door (probably literally, since the likelihood of your tent door being right next to someone else’s is pretty high), then gosh dangit, USE THEM!
James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
4. Let others know you love them.
If you’re on the World Race then you’ve probably got some of the biggest hearts God created surrounding you. People are good at loving. People are not always good at letting each other know that. “Well they’re my team, they know I love them.” “I don’t really know her that well, so I don’t want to sound weird.” LIES LIES LIES! We are to encourage each other, build each other up, and push each other to look more and more like Christ. If no one ever told you that you were a good leader, a wonderful singer, a servant, beautiful, or loved, maybe you’d never know.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
5. Be willing to follow.
Here’s the thing about leading…and following: Leaders and followers don’t always have the same concept about what the best plan of action is. And a lot of times followers decide to stop following because they don’t like the leader’s decision. However, it is more effective for an entire group to be united in carrying out “plan b” than it is for half a team to be carrying out plan a and half carrying out plan b. Even if you as a follower don’t think your leader’s decision is the best, you’re not going to accomplish plan a on your own. Join forces with your team, accept your leader’s decision, and get after it together.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.”
6. Don’t take it personally.
Sometimes in the morning, I wake up. Most of the time, I just stumble out of bed, groggy as all get out and madder than a rhino with poop stuck on his tusk. Ugh, just the thought of mornings is rough. And most of the time if people try to talk to me during the mornings, meanness just floods out of my pores. Mornings are rough for me. A lot of the time, people think I hate them because of my interactions with them in the morning. But here’s the thing…I don’t! It’s just morning and I don’t even realize what I’m doing/saying yet. Sorry if you’ve ever been one of those people. But here’s the flip side: There are plenty of times that people will do the same thing. Maybe they’ve just had a rough day and something comes out that maybe shouldn’t. GIVE THEM GRACE! Don’t take what people say so personally. Sure, there’s room for correction and growth, but don’t assume that everyone is out to tear you down. Life gets a lot easier if you just let things roll off your back.
Proverbs 19:11 “A man’s wisdom give him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”
7. Admit that you need those around you.
Despite that go-get-em attitude or that determination to be self-sufficient, you cannot live life alone. You just can’t. (I feel like I’m preaching to myself here…big time.) We need other people. God designed us to need other people. Accept that you cannot be the hands and feet and ears and arms and tongue and etc. all at the same time. We all have our roles, so you play yours and let others play theirs.
1 Corinthians 12:21 “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’”
8. Hold true to your word.
Whenever you tell someone that you’re gonna grab dinner with them later and then dinner time comes around and you are nowhere to be found, you can bet you’ll have one sad and hungry friend on your hands. If you tell people that you’ll do something for them, do it. Find a way to fulfill your promises. This applies to so many different areas of life. Maybe it’s getting dinner. Maybe it’s holding someone accountable. Maybe it’s praying for someone. Maybe it’s doing dishes. This list could go on. Moral of the story: if you tell someone you’ll do something, do it.
James 5:12 “Let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no’ be no.”
9. Get away.
I’m an introvert. A big introvert. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love my alone time. But I’ve learned too that extroverts need time alone as well. So, whether an E or an I, find some time to just be by yourself. And don’t feel guilty about it. For me, being with people all day can be exhausting. Get in a routine where you can get in a set amount of alone time (however much you need, within reason) every day. Always do it at the same time. My team knows I hate mornings. I get up early, shower, and chill in my tent for nearly an hour before talking to anyone. Every day. And my team knows that about me. For me, it’s perfect.. For others it might be an afternoon nap or a movie at night or popping in some headphones and being “alone” WR style.
Matthew 14:13 “…He [Jesus] withdrew by boat to a solitary place.”
10. Enjoy it!
It’s not everyday that you get to live with 40+ other Christians who love to laugh, look ridiculous, and dance around like fools. It’s not everyday that your entire squad gets to be together. Get coffee with friends, watch movies, talk in funny voices, do the chicken dance. God gave us life, that we might enjoy it to the fullest! Take advantage of it!
1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Be joyful always.”
This is certainly not all there is to know about living in community, but hopefully it’s a start. My prayer is that you may build upon what I have learned and continue to grow in Christ and encourage those around you.
