Living with a group of people you just met can definitely be fun and adventurous, but is that all The Lord intended for community? Furthermore, what does it look like to be a real friend to someone?
I believe Jesus resembled the way community living was meant to look. He was always with the disciples, and although they experienced some cool things with Him, Jesus also had times where He called each of them into something higher.
I believe community is for growth. Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
During The Race, I have grown more than ever before. I’ve been part of sharpening others and being sharpened myself. It’s been tough and it takes being intentional, but I have been learning more about myself and have been pushed more than I expected through each of the girls on my team.
This month our ministry has been street evangelism in the mornings and soccer ministry with the local kids in the evenings. Although we pour out our all and love as Christ does as much as we can, the Reality is there are still ways we could love better to the people we meet and each other as a team. We spend 24/7 with each other and we have been given the great responsibility of pointing out the good things and the things that are not Christ-like; directing each other towards Christ with encouraging words. This is what we call “feedback.”
In the world, some people see feedback as others judging them, or just pointing out things that make the other person annoyed, and granted that can come off that way if you don’t put God in the center of it, but that is not what God wants. Feedback should be positive and/or constructive, but the main point is that it should be uplifting and you should feel like you can grow through it.
One of My sisters this month said to me, “Ana Maria I noticed that you like to teach and have a gifting with your words that makes people hungry to hear what you have to say, but I want to encourage you, when others are speaking that you would be more attentive to hear what they are saying before even thinking of what you are going to say in return.”After hearing this I realized, ‘yes, I can work on being a better listener.’ Her words didn’t bring me down, but rather built me up. My response to her was thank you! The Lord says in proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. We need to be people who not only know how to give feedback, but also receive it.
As Christians we are called to run this race of life with perseverance and endurance, but if we keep running without correcting the things that are slowing us down, we are only hindering ourselves from having our best race. We need to press in more, if we want to be a part of the big things God is doing and wants to do in and through you.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward 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” (Hebrews? ?10?:?24-25? )
Let us be the best vessels for The Lord to use by sharpening and equipping each other! Let us not be afraid to receive and give feedback because at the end of it, there is more victory in our growth than if we were to remain the same.
