A blog post from Dan McClain…

#dedicated to one another

Philippians 2:4 (ESV) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

In life I find myself in situations where I am being presented with deciding between the easy way and the hard way. For example, say I have a project, and the hard way is to do it myself and the easy way is to have someone help me. To a child this may seem like an easy choice. A child would say have someone help you. The thing the child does not understand is the pain and suffering involved in asking someone for help. Children ask for help all the time. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood we all have learned how to put up walls that both protect us and display us to the outside world.

Asking for help allows the helper to step behind the wall. They get to see that behind the wall is a not the great and powerful Dan but, Dan the guy who doesn’t handle adding mixed fractions well, or taking precise measurements well, or doesn’t know much about car engines, etc, etc, etc… The reason I’m sharing all this with you is because I want to encourage others to stop doing life alone and step into community.

God, our Father in Heaven, created us to love each other. John 13:34-35 says, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” This commandment is impossible to obey alone.

Part of loving one another is serving one another. A couple weeks ago I started a huge home project. During the project I had three friends that stepped into my crazy and helped out. I also borrowed tools from a couple of other friends. These are all huge blessings. Saying yes to community means letting others witness your life.

With every job that must be done there is an element of fun, with some friends along, finding the fun is a snap. Last weekend my oldest son and I had the pleasure of helping another family move to a new home. There is something beautiful about a child’s reaction to being in a new home. It was so much fun to see their adventure begin. Saying yes to community means having the opportunity to witness other people’s lives.

That same day I was talking with a friend about my car problems and how I was going to do some car repairs that I had never done before. Without a blink this friend offered to help me out. It was awesome to have a friend show me the ropes. Later on that day Holly and I let our oldest step out of the nest further than ever before. Holly arranged for our oldest to spend time fishing at the lake with another boy from his class. It was only for an hour or so but to our son it was time well spent in the blissful manufactured freedom of community. Saying yes to community means sharing life’s, “new frontier” moments with others.

Saying yes to (Living in) community means so much more than getting a house project done, a car fixed, a family moved, or some fish caught though. It means living life together in unity. Seeking opportunities and moments of authentic fellowship in Christ with others and in these life moments, sharpening each other to be an active part IN the body of Christ, not just a visitor. Being in fellowship and community keeps us inside the body and outside of our own walls.

Ephesians 4:16 (ESV) “into Christ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

God is calling us all to a personal relationship with Him that grows and is sharpened among a body of believers and must be shared with a world desperate for His truth and grace.

Learn more about 3D Community Groups here.