Don't Go It Alone -- Seek Christian Community

We underestimate our value to each other. We search for a relationship with God and don't understand why He doesn't seem to answer. We don't think that these folks around us can be of any use in our lives. Many are annoying and opinionated. Many just don't appeal to us and don't seem to have anything in common with us. Even the folks we are drawn to seem a little superficial and we are afraid to open a deeper relationship with them.

Those who have placed themselves in Christian Community know the blessings received when things go wrong in their lives. God continues to use each of us to bless others when we turn to Him and recognize our role. God does His work, but we have to do our work in order for things to jell.

Christian Community is a means of raising the spiritual experience and connectedness of individuals and groups of individuals. Community is one of the ways of living that helps us in seeking God in our lives, and in so doing allowing God to use each of us to communicate His Love, Grace and Will to His Children.

Covering Our Negatives With Positives

The Bible is full of instructions on how we should live our lives in a good and just way. One of many examples is in Leviticus 19:11: "You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord."

In a recent Bible study and reflection, I was reminded of a way that we can deal with all the negatives that come out of our sinful nature. I have accidentally used this method to overcome anger, dissatisfaction, criticism and other afflictions in the past, but I have not thought of it in such a broad and intentional way. The more I have tried to abandon to God in every aspect of my life, the more I have been able to use positives to overcome negatives in my life.

We should approach every moment in our lives as a wonderful gift from God, no matter what is going on at any given time. It all begins with compassion for or forgiveness of the another person. We must be abundant in love if we hate or are angry. We must acknowledge another's needs when we are full of selfishness. We must look for the good in the people we dislike. There is a family story credited to my Great Grandmother that is a good example of positivity: There was a man that was considered an odd-ball troublemaker in my great grandmother's small town. The fellow had recently died and my grandmother was at a gathering with some town friends discussing the life of this fellow. After listening to all the negative talk about this fellow and his life, my great grandmother spoke up with her thoughts. She said, " You know, he was a good whistler." We need to look for the "good whistler" in everyone and everything.