Friday Fight 96 - The Circumference of Our Community

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF96.

How often have we looked back over some time in our lives and noticed the differences in the people who make up the circle surrounding us? This community circle around us may include our families, friends, or others. But over the years, the circle changes. So, what does the circumference of our community look like, and how do we react when it changes?

The Circumference of Our Community:

We all have friendships that shift over time, even family circles that are altered with changes from death, divorce, or proximity. Maybe your circle isn’t changing, but the frequency with which we see people within these boundaries changes. Circumference in this example would be the distance around our community of people.

God calls us to walk with others, so our community is essential to our spiritual health. Changes in our circle can be from a culmination of things; however, the purpose of this lesson is not to shine a light on them but to provide encouragement for moving forward in our pursuit of community. Changes in our community, though hard, are just as important. God perfectly designs those that come in and out of our lives for a specific purpose. He does not cause the hurt but redirects and walks us through it.

Often these community changes come with various emotions for us to process, some positive and some negative. Still, it is vital to maintain our community. Chaos and loneliness are much worse when we are isolated. Remember that God sits above the circle of the earth and is over all of it and the people in it. My friend shared a quote from a philosopher that God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. So when the community around us changes, let’s give it to God and embrace those He has called us to walk beside us.

Satan thrives to keep us in a state of physical, mental, and spiritual isolation. He repeatedly lies to make us believe we are alone. Being part of a community that faces life together gives us a sense of belonging rather than feeling on our own. In church, one of the pastors referenced a US study showing 46% of people reported feeling lonely, left out, or lacking companionship.

There is freedom found in fellowship with others! Spiritual growth and healing are birthed in us when we walk together with a sense of purpose and identity to something larger. But how does our love for people grow if we cannot spend time with them? We need to do our best to make time. The community of people we surround ourselves with will celebrate our strengths and cover our weaknesses when God remains at the center. Build your community with people who will lift their voices together in prayer, take care of each other, celebrate in joy, and walk in the hope and mercy of God.

Pastor Shannon

New Life Calvert