Week 5 - Receiving Love - Day 25 - Friday

Written by Debbie Phares
“And so there is no division in the body, but all it’s different parts have the same concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness.” What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ! I used to read the above passage and feel a sense of guilt. The truth is, I don’t always suffer when I hear about other Christians suffering and I am only mildly happy when I hear good things about other believers. I assumed that the above passage was a command and I would try to muster up a sense of joy or pain depending on the kind of news I heard. However, if you look at the text, you’ll see that it is not a command; it is describing the result of living out what the previous verses talk about.

Now that I am in deep, intentional relationship with others in the church, I see this happening in my life. Every week, we eat together, pray together, and laugh together. When someone shares his/her pain over a particular situation every week and it is resolved, I rejoice. It is natural for me to do so. Likewise, when someone whom I have learned to love experiences tragedy, naturally, I feel heartsick and heartbroken to see them go through that pain.

When we share our lives with others and allow our lives to be intertwined, we cannot help but experience what 1 Corinthians describes. However, it takes hard work. It doesn’t just happen. Only intentionally opening myself up to genuine relationship with others and inviting God’s Spirit to be a part of that process can produce this kind of effect. It has taken years of investment and still requires weekly investment to be in true community. However, I can’t imagine my life without it.

Scripture:
• Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-26

Reflection:
• What do you think are the fruits of true community? What kind of hard work does it take to see those kinds of fruits? What holds you back from investing in community? Invite God to help you overcome those obstacles.

Practice:
• Get together with a long-time friend or your life group. Reflect together on some of the ups and downs of your relationship. What were some of the obstacles? Good times? What has it taken to maintain this relationship? Take some time to pray, thanking God for your relationship and invite the Holy Spirit to continue to shape and mold your friendship.