Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
No man is an island. We are social creatures who are made to live in community. Although living in community can be amazing, it can also be very hard as we become vulnerable and experience both hurt and healing especially when conflict occurs. We may idealize community and project our unmet needs on our community members, but this may turn out to be a fantasy which may lead to people getting disillusioned and end up leaving the community. The truth is there is no ideal community as every community is made of real people with real problems.
God designed the community to grow and mature us into people of love. To grow, we need to learn the discipline of staying. When we enter a stage of apathy or frustration with our community, staying instead of leaving may result in acceptance, re-engagement and entering a new stage of health.
How can we remain in community despite our human faults and differences? Here are 3 steps:
- Deal with conflict
- Forgive
- A commitment to apprentice under Jesus
Where can we begin? We need a growth mindset and take the next step. A few practical suggestions include meeting over a meal, have deeper conversations over coffee or a walk, find a confessor, and meeting people’s needs.
Have a Blessed Easter!
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