Love Your NeighborSample

Finding Community

Sharing the love of Jesus with our neighbors can take quite a bit of effort. It requires our time, our hearts, and our skills, on top of our already busy day-to-day lives. That’s why, if you want to care for others, it’s vital to find a community of believers who can support you. This community will give you the foundation you need to love others through all seasons of life.

In Acts 2, we get a glimpse of what this kind of community looks like. These believers knew one another well, shared what they had, and gave away their excess to each other. Together, they shared meals, worshiped God, and enjoyed one another’s company. Everyone’s needs were met.

Because of this strong community, the early church was equipped to share the good news of Jesus. Their community continued growing and reaching new people, whose needs they worked together to meet.

In the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul used the metaphor of a body to describe the church:

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5 NIV

We need one another. We each have unique gifts, strengths, and passions. On our own, we can’t make much of a difference in the world. But through the power and support of a strong community, there are few limits to the kind of impact we can have.

As you start making steps to care for your neighbors, ask yourself—what does your community look like? How much support do you already have, and how much support do you still need? How can you invest in your relationships with your family and friends, and how can you expand your community even further? Taking steps to invest in your community will multiply your ability to care for the people around you.

Consider: Who are the people in your life who are helping you become more like Jesus? How can you invest in this community?