Why is community important?

Why is community important?

{Sweet Natalie from Milk & Honey Faith shares a powerful testimony about “why is community important?”. What encouragement to seek out life-giving relationship! You will be blessed by reading her wisdom today, as the 3rd installment in a two week series on Community.}

I can remember crying out to God because there was a time that I yearned for a true sense of community and for friendships that were loyal.

Even though I was blessed with a loving husband and beautiful children, my heart longed for true friends.

What do we mean by community?

While living a worldly lifestyle I had friends of all sorts who were from various walks of life. Time spent with them was mistaken for quality, when in actuality, I was compromising my soul.

I began clinging to these so-called friendships as an escape from the stark reality of my diminished spiritual life.

I convinced myself that these friendships were what mattered because maybe somehow, popularity would fill the gaping hole in my soul. They didn’t, they made it worse.

What started as casual talk ended up turning into gossip and backstabbing. Time spent alone with these women turned into plans of claiming our independence from our Husbands.

We planned outings to places that we had no business being in, that could have sabotaged our marriages. They were friendships that left me feeling hopeless and drained. Yet, I was duped into thinking that there was nothing better.

These were my “friends”.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

Does community mean we lose friends too?

When I recommitted my heart to Christ I can remember saying goodbye to a lot of things. I began cutting off old ties and repenting of bad habits that had developed over the years.

The Lord started breaking the chains of sin in my life.

One of the hardest things for me to let go of was my friendships. I had to start from scratch.

It was difficult for me to trust God in this area because what happened was, I started to feel lonely and unwanted.

That is when I began to pray that the Lord would lead me to new friends. Friends that shared in my faith for the Lord.

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20

Community can mean Freedom Found

The Lord didn’t want me thinking that my worth was found in the amount of acquaintances I had, but instead, He wanted my worth to be found in Him.

This resulted in me realizing who my true source of friendship was. By stripping me bare He was able to begin the transformation in me.

I no longer had to live up to the expectations of the women around me.

He had me to all to Himself and He kept it this way for a while. I was no longer distracted by comparison or gossip, I was free to grow in Christ.

There was glory in my solitude. I learned how to rely solely on Him and His will for my life. I didn’t have to be hindered by wrongful living, or tempted by false companionship.

Slowly the facade of fake friendships drifted away, and I was at peace. I realized that I had nothing in common with these old friends of mine anymore.

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 NLT

What does community mean in church?

As I attended Church more regularly, slowly the Lord started bringing ladies that I could relate to into my life. Ladies who shared the faith, sisters who understood what it meant to walk with Christ.

Women I could lock arms and pray with.

God took that loss I once felt and the loneliness that plagued me, and He turned it around for good. He restored what I had sacrificed a hundred-fold.

He turned me into a woman; who instead of shying away from people, would instead tell those with hurting hearts about the love of Christ.

I became a woman who found fellowship in the Lord, instead of with the world.

The Church, His body, was where I began finding the companionship I longed for and I started to remember my prayers for new friends.

As I began to write my blog, God took my prayers to a whole new level.

Not only did He create friendships within Church, but I began making friends across the globe. By His grace and mercy, He has started giving me what my heart desired. True community with women who also blogged about their faith.

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity–all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47 NLT

Community means friends in Faith

The Lord has shown me that He is more than faithful and that He delivers on His promises. The fellowship we long for is in Him.

Once we step into that relationship as our sole source of comfort, He provides friends in the faith, brothers and sisters in Christ who are family.

It’s a camaraderie that can’t be undone. A community that can only be relished.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT

*Natalie Venegas is a Christian creative and California native that now resides in Las Vegas, NV. Her passion is community and her heart is for the Lord. When she isn’t writing for Milk & Honey Faith she can be found spending quality time with her husband Anthony and her two children.

Natalie also serves alongside her Husband in ministry in the hopes of reaching many with the Gospel of Jesus and furthering His Kingdom. You can also connect with Natalie on Pinterest , Instagram, and Twitter.

Friendship resources you might enjoy:

• The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship: 365 Days to Finding, Keeping, and Loving Your Friends
• After the boxes are unpacked
• Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely
• Messy Beautiful Friendship: Finding and Nurturing Deep and Lasting Relationships
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