Why Community Matters

Americans value independence and individualism.  "The Lone Ranger," "Super Man," "The Captain of Industry," all characters that point to our over estimation of the individuals power and ability.  Look beyond our hero worship.  Most superheroes have a sidekick, or an entire culture behind them (Super Man was the beneficiary of all of Krypton and his host planet Earth).  Every great leader in business has an entire workforce following their lead.  As Christians, we often fail to realize the power of community in making us what we are, even in our individual, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Exodus twelve, God commands the descendants of Israel to celebrate the first Passover.  Each individual must determine to celebrate this action by faith so that they will not be swept away in deadly judgment.  Each individual family, and each man/father is going to be responsible for the salvation of each first born individual in that home, through this act of faith.

It is an individual obedience, but there is a community component.  Each parent is to, "Take a lamb for his family..." (12:3).  As a community of salves, some must be poor.  "If a household is to small...they must share one with their nearest neighbor" (12:4).  And then look at this, "...the community of Israel must slaughter them (the lambs for the meal) at twilight" (12:6).  The individual will pay the price in their family if they veer from God's command.  But the power and collective encouragement of a community working together draws, pushes, and pressures them all into a stronger faith and a greater majority choosing to obey the Lord.

When you are connected to your faith family it matters!  Some choices are a little easier to make when you have support from true friends.  Battles are more likely to be won when others are with you in the fight.  Commitments are more easily kept when you have some partners.  When I think of the influence of friends and older mentors in the early days of my walk with Jesus, I realize that community matters!

Get connected at Life Stream Church.  Don't just sit in a chair during a church service a couple times a month!  Attend church regularly.  Get involved in a small group and stick with them.  Bring you kids to church, they need community and multi-generational examples of church involvement to succeed in their Christian life.  Find a team to serve with and make friends working together.

Reading Exodus in my devotions I came to chapter 12.  The thing that stood out to me was the power of the community to help everyone follow Moses and God's command.  Community matters now as much as it did in those fateful days when God was moving among his people, "with a mighty hand!"