“Living in community” is a frequently uttered phrase in World Race culture. It describes how daily life takes place – not as an individual doing whatever we please on our own terms, but as members of a team, choosing to intentionally prefer and pursue one another as we work towards the greater good.
Living in community is sharpening,
Biblical
rewarding
and it can be ridiculously hard.
One of my most prevalent challenges is seeking support and advice from people. I’m quick to give advice, or encouragement, wisdom, or a listening ear, but not so quick to seek it out – from people, that is.
The Lord truly, deeply, and wholly is my portion. And, with Him as my portion, I have more than enough. I fully rely on Him. It’s difficult for me to find balance in drawing strength from my teammates when Jesus is my strength, and I have His precious Holy Spirit within me.
One night, I voiced my frustrations about this to the Lord. Trying to find the necessity of pulling from people while fighting my tending towards introspection became so weighty. The Lord quickly spoke to me, “What was the first “not good” in all of creation?” I knew it:
Genesis 2:18 “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that a man should be alone…” ”
Out of the entire vastness and splendor of creation and the possibility that one man could enjoy it all, while walking in intimate communion with the Lord, something still lacked. Community. And thus, Eve enters the scene shortly afterwards.
The first “not good” involves a lack of community.
One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 5:10 which simply says, “Find out what pleases God.” I love this, because it shows the nature of our Lord. How personal and personable He is. Things please Him and other things displease Him. Engaging in intentional relationships with others, while seeking His heart above all else, greatly pleases Him. He sees rich goodness in this type of community, because, “it is not good that man should be alone…”
It is not good that I should be alone. Even though “alone” means “me and God,” and community is so challenging. But, being sharpened by teammates who each possess the precious Holy Spirit greatly blesses me and greatly pleases God.
And so, my ‘not good’ slowly but surely becomes better.
From my heart,
Erika Venese
