Ephesians 4:15-16 (New Living Translation)

¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Starting with creation in Genesis 2, God saw that man was not at their best by themselves. Even all the animals and elements of creation were not sufficient for the development of man. Therefore, God created community/relationship.

Since this time, we have created a paradox by which we develop an ever increasing community with a growth rate that has truly become exponential through technology and global connectedness. In contrast, our connection to each other has become superficial, deflective, and ineffective. This reality has been highlighted by a culture of vocabulary that calls for authenticity, realness, and relationship.

Perhaps what calls for community more than our vocabulary is our inner being, the intangible soul that causes us to crave for a community/relationship that allows for openness, truth, and growth. This leads us to the paradox of personal spiritual growth; We must have a relationship with God and man.

The author Henry Cloud sums this up more eloquently when he stated, “[People] grow first through their connection with God, but also through their connection with other people in his Body. And as we have seen, if they don’t have the latter, they don’t have all the former.”

Therefore, one of our conclusions is that God, you, and others are not only calling for you to create community, but need you to create community. Furthermore, this community is defined through acceptance, grace, experience, emotion, trust, healing, sacrifice, and servant-hood.

Spend the rest of the week defining your relationships.

Who are they?

How healthy are they?

Are they helping you know more about God?

Are they helping you grow?

Chance