Day 19:
Community requires commitment
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 3:16 (KJV)
We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers. 1 John 3:16 (GWT)
Question to Consider:
How can I help cultivate today the characteristics of real community in my small group and my church?
For the most part, I enjoy the fellowship that comes with the small group I belong to at church. But there are a couple of issues that I immediately think of that could a bit of loving honesty. For the most part, we have authenticity and most of the other nine characteristics. I can’t reveal all the dynamics of the issue, but perhaps this chapter is telling me to gather up the courage and speak out against the disrespect that I’ve witnessed.
That will be extremely hard for me, because I can’t help my shyness at times, however my patience with the issue is wearing thin. I just want to be sure I use the right words and that the message is delivered with love. I’m going to need extra grace for that.
Favorite quotes:
“Cultivating community takes honesty. You will have to care enough to lovingly speak the truth, even when you would rather gloss over a problem or ignore an issue.” p.146
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Kiesha holds a Master of Arts in English and is a graduate of the University of Toledo.
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