Get close to God's people.
When I was in high school, I had a heated argument with a friend who believed that emotions mattered. I, on the other hand, believed in the superiority of cold logic and careful reasoning. I was a weird kid, always in search of syllogisms.
Looking back, I realize that at that moment, what I really needed was community. My friend was inviting me to understand myself and other people.
If you have ever attended church or read the Bible, you've likely heard that community is important. However, sometimes the word "community" is misleading. Just because the word "Community" is displayed in a church lobby on a cool sign doesn't mean that true connection is occurring. And many people have experienced spiritual abuse, which creates an understandable resistance to participating in Christian organizations.
It took me a lot of time and struggle to learn why community matters to God—and to me. So, why is community so important?
**Love**
Jesus said that the most important commandments were to love God and others. I can be peaceful when no one is around to bother me, but being alone does not make me holy. **True spirituality is found in how we treat others.** Jesus came to earth because God is love, and love is how we become more like God.
Jesus's love went so far as to wash the feet of Judas, mere hours before his disciple would betray him. He went so far as to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins.
So to be like God is to love. In other words, you can test your spiritual maturity by asking trusted people in your life if they experience you as a loving person.
**Imitation**
In Philippians 2, Paul reproduces an early Christian hymn that encouraged the first churches to imitate the example of Jesus. But if you look closely at the rest of the chapter, you'll notice that Paul also encourages the Christians in Philippi to imitate him, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. By contrast, the Philippians are to avoid imitating the example of those who do evil.
Look at Philippians 3:17. Paul specifically invites other Christians to imitate his example: "Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us."
**When we become embedded in a community, we become like those people.** So it is important to exercise wisdom about the communities we join. To the degree we are able, we seek out those whose lives and relationships show the goodness, holiness, love, and kindness of Christ.
We thrive when we participate in spiritually healthy communities. Relationships provide us with the opportunity to learn, grow, and connect in meaningful ways. One essential step towards God is to find and participate in loving communities where you can meet people whose lives are worthy of imitation.
**Our ninth step to God is to get close to God's people.**
Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.
What 'lessons' have I learned about community from my culture?
What does my church teach about community? How would I describe my experience of community at church?
'True spirituality is found in how we treat others.' What do I think about this statement? How could I improve it?
Who can I trust to give honest, caring feedback on how well I love others?
Who are my role models? Whose Christian life would I want to imitate?
Which relationships are helping me develop spiritual maturity? Which relationships are pulling me away from God?
Who is God inviting me to love? What does love look like in this relationship?
Identify one relationship this week that you want to invest in more deeply. Reach out to that person and schedule time together. Ask them about their walk with God and share about yours.
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