Life is meant to be shared. God did not intend for His people to be alone or separated from fellowship with others. A stand-alone Christian is one of two things: disobedient or not a Christian at all. Our purpose in life is not only to worship God but to have fellowship with Him and other people! We are meant to have relationships.
This brings me to an interesting question:
Can you have a relationship or true fellowship with someone who you do not know?
My vote is no! If I met someone for the first time today and all that we shared was a simple handshake and a hello then I cannot say that I have a relationship and experience fellowship with that person. That person would simply be an acquaintance and not a friend. However, if I sat down and began to talk to that person and within our conversation we open up and personally get to know one another, then I could say I am starting to build a relationship with them. God wants us to have relationships, not acquaintances.
In real fellowship people experience authenticity: Do people know you for who you really are? Do you open up and show people your true colors, or do you hide your feelings and thoughts in fear of what others might say or think? When people get honest about who they really are and what is going on in their lives then they are authentic. When people pretend, role-play, and hide their thoughts and feelings out of fear or regret then they are simply being fake. Being fake is simply lying. Every time you act in a false way you are a liar to everyone around you. People cannot really get to know who you are and you cannot begin to have true fellowship until you are authentic. This may be way out of your comfort zone…but I seriously doubt God ever asked you to stay in a comfort zone anyway. Real fellowship happens when people get real!
In real fellowship people experience mutuality: You simply cannot be a stand-alone Christian. We are here not to live our own lives, but to share life with each other. My gifts and talents are not for me, they are for you! God gives us gifts and abilities that will benefit others…and yet we often use them for selfish reasons to benefit ourselves. We are to keep each other accountable, encourage one another, serve one another, and honor one another. Christians do not grow spiritually mature in a box, but in fact spiritual growth happens when we are together, open, and honest, helping one another. It is so important to be authentic, so that others can help you with your real problems.
In real fellowship people experience sympathy: Many people will not open up because of the fear of what others might think or do. Some may even believe that their opinions or thoughts are not good enough or don’t count so they simply don’t share. The problem is, if you never open up and share your true self, then no one can ever really know you for who you are, and that eradicates fellowship. But when you do open up and share your true self then it is the believers job to sympathize with you and help you through anything, good or bad. Every time you sympathize with someone and you understand and affirm their feelings you build fellowship. True Fellowship cannot happen unless you are authentic, you share with one another and sympathize with one another. Without this true fellowship you are not fulfilling your purpose in life.
In real fellowship people experience mercy: Everyone stumbles, everyone falls, everyone makes mistakes. It is beyond wrong for us to hold someone’s mistakes over their heads as if we never mess up! Instead we must show mercy as God has shown mercy. You simply cannot have fellowship without forgiveness. Just as God has had mercy on us, we must show mercy to others. When someone opens up and becomes authentic our goal should never be to hurt them but to help them!
Fellowship is all about relationships! Relationships are all about getting to know each other authentically. Are there people in your church that you do not know? I am not asking if you know of them, but do you really know them. If there are people in the church that you do not know at all, then your purpose is certainly not finished…we should be about the business of making new relationships and strengthening the ones we have. It’s not easy, but it is certainly worth it.
Pressed
Add A Comment