Connections to the faith community are extremely important
to Christians. When we fellowship, we uplift one another; we teach one another;
we pray for one another, and we love one another; therefore, connections made
through fellowship are vital to a strong Christian walk. Our journeys are made
lighter by the Christians in our circle.
We are encouraged to connect in hundreds of passages in the
Bible. The following are just a few:
Even when two or three are gathered in my name, I will be there
with them. Matthew 18:20
If iron sharpens iron, you must understand that one person
will sharpen another. Proverbs 27:17
As you bear one another’s burdens, you are also fulfilling
the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Together, we should contemplate how to stir up one another
to love and to do good works. Hebrews 10:24
If we truly examine our faith walks, we will most likely see
that when we were strong and were walking close to Jesus, we were probably
connected to other Christians through formal and informal fellowship. If we
think back upon the times we felt lost, alone, and without direction, we would
most likely discover that we pulled away from our Christian connections, away
from church, away from fellowship. I know this holds true in my own life.
Just last night, I attended a Ladies Fellowship Dinner at my
local church. I made connections through meeting new women who sat at my table,
and I got to better know women who attend my church. I experienced fellowship
through our shared meals, prayers, and little extras like door prizes and other
experiences. Best of all was listening to our speaker who connected to us all
by speaking from her heart and sharing her testimony.
In my latest novel, ILLUMINATED, Cotton, the main character,
drifted away from her connections to her childhood church. During that time,
she drifted from Jesus and the people who loved her, prayed for her, and
uplifted her. Cotton eventually found, however, that even when one drifts away,
the WORD that Jesus placed in one’s heart remains there—possibly buried and
difficult to access, but still there. She regretted, however, that she had
drifted away.
We all may have times of difficulty connecting through
church attendance or with other fellowship opportunities because we lead busy
lives. I have been pulled away at times because of taking care of ill or dying
family members. Connecting has been difficult when I travel because so many
family members live so far away. Many people have illnesses of their own that
prevent them from leaving their homes at times.
No matter the reasons we have difficult connecting at times,
we must not allow those lost connections to continue. At whatever point you
can, listen to the pulling of your heart, reconnect, fellowship, attend church,
and reach out to your fellow Christians to strengthen you, to pray for you, and
to uplift you when you need it most. And—just as important—be there for those
who need the connections when they are discouraged. Jesus encouraged
connections because he knew the value it has in your Christian journey.
