Day 19 - Cultivating Community

Maryann Johnson

Be Committed

We all want to belong or be a part of a community of behavior of excellence, valves, morals, integrity and love. The characteristic of cultivating community are as follows: commitment, honesty, humility, courtesy, confidentiality and frequency. Community - fortunately the New Testament is filled with instruction on how to share life together. It take God's powers and our effort to produce a loving Christian community. Spending time reading your bible and a conscious contact with God. Honesty- being honest will cause some pain and gain for you and the community. But in God there is no Fear. The bible tells us "to speak the truth in love" because we can't have community with candor. Secrets makes us and the environment sick. Learning how to handle conflict correctly,and everyone can grow closer to each by facing and resolving our differences. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in love. Humility- pride builds walls between people and humility build bridges. According to the bible "clothes yourselves with humility toward one another because oppose the proud but gives grace to the humble". Humble people enjoy taking care of other, it takes the focus off of them. Courtesy-is respecting our differences being considerate of each other's feelings and being patient with people who irritates us. You will always set a EGR "Extra Grace Required". According to the Bible "be devoted to each other like a loving family,excel in showing respect for each other". Confidentiality - means what is shared in your group must stay in your group. And the group needs to deal with it, not gossip to other about it. God say. Gossip is spread by wicked people, they stir up trouble and break up friendship. God is very clear that we are to confront those who cause division among Christians. Frequency- staying in contact with your community in order to build genuine fellowship. According to the bible " the bible let us not give up the habit of meeting together as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another. “If you are a member of a small group or class, I urge you to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), encourage each other (mutuality), support each other (sympathy), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).”

Verse to Remember: "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)