“Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together.” This council was given in the time of Christ,
and has been used recently to reinforce the idea of attending a formal church
service. But I suspect the meaning (and
value) of these words is far greater than we have applied them to date. Our very nature is not one that aspires to
loneliness and isolation. While there
are times we crave “some alone time”, the key word there is “some”. In truth what we usually mean by those words
is simply that we crave a “relief” from the stressors that surround us. In general, humans have always been social
creatures.
Clear back to the Garden of Eden, man exercised a unique
particularity of his consciousness, and despite God’s original design – man was
unsatisfied. Man became aware of his own
isolation, by witnessing the pairing of every other animal species he
encountered as he named them all. He saw
firsthand the reliance on one from the other, he witnessed intimacy even if
only rudimentary in its definition, and he wanted what he saw. Adam might have been less lonely had he been
in direct contact with God all of the time, but this was reserved more for
evening walks than minute to minute socialization. Adam saw the work of creation as missing one
important element.
The genesis of Eve into the world met the need Adam had
identified. As a part of him, she would
be his helper, his heart, and more to his need – a constant companion. Even as Eve entered the world, the new
council from God was to stay together to avoid the pitfalls that must be placed
in perfection. In order that humanity be
given a true choice, Satan would be allowed a small representation in their
garden home to offer his own – “alternatives”.
God’s original council of defense against this danger was to stay
together to meet it. It was the first
casualty in a series of decisions that resulted in our condition we face today.
The simple truth is that groups of people are harder to
defeat than single individuals. There can
be greater strength in numbers when in humility all are willing to listen and
learn from each other. We are told we
represent the “body” of the church. Each
member has a unique function relative to the body’s whole. Those who represent the “eyes” of the body
can perhaps see truth others might miss, but they are ill-prepared to take the
action that those who represent the “hands” might be able to do. One identifies, another responds, still
another offers a different type of assistance based on their role in the
body. None are greater than the
other. None can exist well without the
other. None was ever told they
represented the entire picture themselves alone. It takes more than one to represent the
church, it takes community.
The problem with modern technology that ever pushes us into
further and further independence is that the subtle message we adopt becomes
that we “need” no-one else to survive.
Our communal body starts reacting like the patient who refuses an organ
donation. We reject our brothers,
because they do not fit well with our view of the body. If I were an “arm” for example, I might not
like what the “leg” looked like. It is
too long, too thick, not as nimble as I am, and therefore judge its value as
minimal at best. So we look around us
devoid of humility, and from our singular perspectives, we use our truth to
drive others away from us – leaving our body crippled and near death. This is the reason why churches look the way
they do today.
The message of self-help, self-awareness, self-discovery
does not lend itself to socialization or dependence on the whole for
results. No just the opposite, it
focuses the eyes in the mirror to find all the answers, and ignores the council
of groups. Our greatest enemy “self” is
bolstered by modern thinking that praises individuals above community. It destroys within us even the desire to be
around others, unless to further reinforce our ego by demonstrating our
superiority in one form or another. This
thinking is the hallmark of all evil, and runs completely counter to the clear
word of God on this topic. Leaders who
encourage their flocks to “try harder” to defeat evil only leave them
frustrated and still wanting.
Whether we like it or not, we are not as independent as we
think. We need others. We need God.
As each of us is incapable of permanently vanquishing evil from our
hearts, our minds, and our desires; we must DEPEND on God to do this work FOR
us. In this matter God works alone. But as His work is invisible, God recognizes
our continued need for socialization and reminds us not to forsake getting
together. The work of Salvation, that
is, the work of saving us from sin and evil itself, is done by God alone, for
each of us, in a one on one setting. It
is highly personal and private. But the
results could no more be kept secret than trying to hide a brilliant light in
the darkness.
As we become changed we begin to offer help and hope in a
world with little of either. Though the
victories are not really “ours” as we do not do the work – we certainly benefit
from the gift we are given.
Freedom! Freedom to think, to
love, and to share unburdened by the former evil that held us back. Evil holds us down, poisons our minds, and
paralyzes our will to act. But freedom
from evil as brought and wrought by our Savior has an exact opposite
effect. It is invigorating. It is inspiring. It causes us not to accept the status-quo any
more. It makes us Brave. It drives us with energy to move
forward. This is something the world
lacks. And when they see it, they will
be curious about it, after all those in darkness will respond when they see a
great light. Too few of us have
discovered the light of reliance on God to be able to share it thus far, but
the kindling is catching on.
There is wisdom in the minds of others. God speaks to each of us in the ways we
understand. And if we are willing in
humility to hear it, we can learn His lessons in the mouths and lives of those
who surround us daily. Not everyone who
offers us council speaks for God, but everyone who loves has something of value
to offer. Carry important questions and
decisions back to God in prayer, but do not blind yourself to the answers you
seek in the lives of others. Think
drinking alcohol to be a good idea?
Consider the life of the alcoholic closely and learn what is possible
for those that drink. Think helping out
a homeless shelter is a good idea?
Consider the life of those who help, and find out what makes them do
it. Try it out for yourself. Make a difference to someone else, and then
come tell me if you can beat that feeling some other way.
Remember your role in humility. If I am to be the “eyes” of the body of
Christ, then I am probably ill-suited to speak as His “mouth”. I am not the best at running as His “legs”,
nor do I hear as well as His “ears”. Do
not be overwhelmed by allowing others to ask you to do more than your role
would provide. You are not supposed to
be every vital organ in the body, just the one you’re suited to. If your body lacks a “mouth”, then seek one
out, don’t try to simply “add” it to your list.
We are supposed to be a community.
Our community is supposed to look out for one another, even when it is
not so convenient to do so. We are to
gather together to draw strength from each other’s strength, and cloth the
weaknesses in each other.
In practical terms, this may mean you help someone out
changing a car tire when you see them in need.
No-one enjoys changing a tire, but everyone appreciates help when they
need it. It may mean you do the dishes
and clean the kitchen up for your family. Again this is a thankless job, but it has
meaning for someone, especially if you’re not the one who usually does it. It may mean you click on the advertisements
on my WEB site or my BLOG that Google provides as this is how I make a living
right now. No, you don’t need to
actually buy anything, I get paid per click not per purchase J. But more importantly, it means you recognize
your need of the rest of His body to make you the stronger person you can
be. It is our community that makes us
His body …
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