Community is Key

Written by Brad Ormonde Jr.

As Christians it can be very easy to fool other Christians into believing that our life is perfect, but behind closed doors we know that life is not okay. It’s easy to come to church and act like a Christian but not so easy to act like a Christian at school or around friends. It’s been said, “Honesty is the best policy.” And it’s true because being caught in a lie is no fun thing, yet we continue to live a double life because we don’t really want others to know who we truly are.

Being in a community with other followers of Jesus is something that we should desire in life. It keeps us from hiding behind the mask of positivity. In a Christian community you can learn to fight sin, to be encouraging, and to pray for the needs of other people. But before you can do all of that, you need to be honest about the things going on in your life.

Be Honest with God

Being honest with God is the first step in being in community with other believers. If you believe that your life is good, and that everything is put together accordingly, you won’t believe the truth that you have sin in your life. The Bible says that we all “fall short of the glory of God” (see Romans 3:23). If we have sin in our lives and aren’t able to meet God’s perfect standard, then we need to admit that to Him. When we can be honest with God, He will make us honest about everything else.

Be Honest with Each Other

Ephesians 4:25 says that we should speak the truth with our neighbors because we are members of the same family. The Scriptures teach us that we are brothers and sisters because God is our Father and we are His kids. We should be honest about what we do so that we can help other people when they are in need. God has gifted each one of us in unique ways that can help other people in their circumstances. Have you been honest about your life and the difficulties you face? We believe the Lord wants to use you through the darkest valley you have faced.

Be Honest with the World

It’s easier to be a light in this world when you are at church, but not so easy when you’re around friends who aren’t followers of Jesus. Let’s be honest, we all know that it’s more difficult to express our faith in Jesus Christ to others, but God has promised that when we face difficulties that He will be right there with us. The world needs to know that you are a follower of Jesus. For the sake of the world we must be different than the world. You need to stand out in order to make a difference and that might mean being ridiculed by others. Are you willing to sacrifice being comfortable in your faith rather than allowing someone you know to spend eternity separated from God? It’s a hard truth we need to grapple with, but when we believe that God has a purpose for us to shine His light into the world, He will bless us for taking that step of faith.

Trust that God has given you friends to encourage you and strengthen you when you need it most. He places people in our lives to share their experiences with us so that we can learn and link shields together for the sake of the gospel.

Ask yourself these question and allow God to minister His encouragement to you:

1. Have you been honest with God about the sin in your life? If you have never confessed your sins, do it now.
2. Are you hiding behind a mask? What will it take for you to be honest with yourself and others who know you?
3. When you’ve faced something difficult in life, who has been there for you and how can you be there for others during their difficulties?