Don't Do It Alone

Something starts to happen when you become intentional in your relationships and begin to put Jesus first. Something happens when you choose to let other people into your private life. The truth is we are not meant to go through this life alone.

The Holy Scriptures are clear that we are called to encourage each other, confess our sins to one another, and build each other up often. We know this takes a level of courage, but the reward is so incredibly great! Trusting these words of God will only lead to richer and more meaningful relationships.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger brother inherits a great deal of money and eventually loses it all. He leaves his home, his community, and all accountability in order to choose his own way and live a seemingly independent and reckless life. When his money runs out and his fun turns to pain, he realizes just how alone he really is and how much he needs others. He makes the courageous decision to go back home to his father, humbled and in need, with the hope that perhaps he may receive an opportunity for a fresh start. To his surprise, his father immediately welcomes him back and even throws him a party!

Do you ever feel alone? Can you relate at all to the prodigal son? Perhaps you’ve tried to fill voids in your life with earthly possessions or maybe you’ve consistently chosen your own way rather than listening to the sound advice of others. Friend, there is such good news! You too can start fresh. It is never too late for you to begin again. You can decide to go back home to a Father who is ready to welcome you in and throw a party!

Not only does God want to welcome you home, but he longs to place you in a new kind of community. He encourages you to move through this life with confidants, allies, or perhaps better said: “family.” When you enter into a relationship with Jesus, you are adopted by faith into His family (Ephesians 1:5). This Jesus-centered community is meant to be a family that encourages, supports, and bears one another’s burdens. We are even called to celebrate each other often! That may sound exciting to you, or perhaps it sounds daunting. God’s Spirit is ready and willing to guide you towards His son Jesus, and closer toward each other.

Don’t do this life alone. While social isolation and loneliness are real burdens on the rise in recent years, we know intimate friendships grow over time and become more meaningful through courageous vulnerability and shared experiences. These kinds of Jesus-centered relationships have great potential to change the trajectory of our lives!
Don’t be afraid to initiate. Don’t be afraid to be rejected. As you journey together, you must each be willing to be vulnerable, building trust and caring for each other’s needs, while also celebrating each other’s wins. We must each be willing to push to make Jesus-centered relationships one of the priorities in our lives.

Who are the people who you could enter into a deeper relationship with? Who might be willing to walk alongside you in this app, together drawing closer to Jesus?