How to Cultivate a Healthy Community
Real fellowship is not about casual conversation, socializing, food and fun but experiencing life together at a deeper level. It involves unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical service, sacrificial giving and sympathetic comforting.
The church is a community. People in a healthy community share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
To develop a healthy community, we should observe that:
a. Cultivating a community demands frequency
You need to have a regular contact with your group in order to build a healthy community. The book of Hebrews 10: 25 warns that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. You need to develop the habit of meeting together with the church to share true feelings, support each other, forgive each other and encourage one another.
b. Develop the character of Humility
Self-pride and selfishness destroy relationship faster than anything else. Pride builds walls between people, humility builds bridges. God says, "Clothe yourself with humility toward one another" because he opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 3:7; Proverbs 28:9).
You can develop humility in very practical ways by admitting your weaknesses, being patient with other's weaknesses; being open to correction and by pointing the spotlight on others.
Humility is thinking more of others and serving others but thinking less of self.
c. Develop the mind of courtesy
Courtesy is respecting our differences; being considerate of each others feelings and being patient with people who irritate you.
God needs people who are considerate of the fears and doubts of others.
In a family, acceptance isn't based on how smart or beautiful or talented you are but on the fact that we belong to each other. Understand the feelings of others and validate the fears.
d. Healthy Community Needs Honesty
Honesty is not rudeness or a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. Real fellowship, whether in a marriage, friendship, or a church, depends on frankness.
It is only in the safe environment of warm acceptance and trusted confidentiality that people open up and share their deepest hurts, needs and mistakes.
Recommended Books:
The Secret of Supernatural Power, Deliverance and Prosperity
When Trusting God Makes No Sense
Stop Existing! Start Living!
The church is a community. People in a healthy community share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
To develop a healthy community, we should observe that:
a. Cultivating a community demands frequency
You need to have a regular contact with your group in order to build a healthy community. The book of Hebrews 10: 25 warns that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. You need to develop the habit of meeting together with the church to share true feelings, support each other, forgive each other and encourage one another.
b. Develop the character of Humility
Self-pride and selfishness destroy relationship faster than anything else. Pride builds walls between people, humility builds bridges. God says, "Clothe yourself with humility toward one another" because he opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 3:7; Proverbs 28:9).
You can develop humility in very practical ways by admitting your weaknesses, being patient with other's weaknesses; being open to correction and by pointing the spotlight on others.
Humility is thinking more of others and serving others but thinking less of self.
c. Develop the mind of courtesy
Courtesy is respecting our differences; being considerate of each others feelings and being patient with people who irritate you.
God needs people who are considerate of the fears and doubts of others.
In a family, acceptance isn't based on how smart or beautiful or talented you are but on the fact that we belong to each other. Understand the feelings of others and validate the fears.
d. Healthy Community Needs Honesty
Honesty is not rudeness or a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. Real fellowship, whether in a marriage, friendship, or a church, depends on frankness.
It is only in the safe environment of warm acceptance and trusted confidentiality that people open up and share their deepest hurts, needs and mistakes.
Recommended Books:
The Secret of Supernatural Power, Deliverance and Prosperity
When Trusting God Makes No Sense
Stop Existing! Start Living!
