The Power of Community in Life's Difficult SeasonsSample

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There is a law in building relationships that say you cannot take out what you did not put in. This law applies to everything in life, including being a responsible 'citizen' in your community. Today we live in a world where most people only think about reaping (what can I get), and very few understand that the principle of sowing comes first (what can I give). 

In the current state, it would be easy for you to follow the crowd, lift your pitchfork, and burn everything to the ground. But, I challenge you to have a different response by being optimistic, appreciating the little that you have, and decide to build again.

The situation in the world today is not new, it happened in the Bible, there was a famine in Bethlehem, Naomi, her husband, and two sons had to move to another country called Moab. 

While they thought that would've solved their problems, sometimes later, her husband died, followed by her two sons. She was left with her daughters-in-law, but one day she heard that God had remembered his people and the land was producing once again, she decided to return home to her community. In the same vein, a day is coming, that we will all hear of a cure for this global pandemic, then we will realize that God has not forgotten us. So, hold on and keep looking to the horizon, because the sun will shine again.

The question you might be asking is, what should I be doing during the eye of the storm, and what should my response be as I interact with my community? There is no better example than the story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, and these are the lessons that we take out of this parable.

1. Drop the pride - Be genuine about your weaknesses, struggles, and the condition of your heart, then God will be faithful to respond to your humility. (Proverbs 11:2)
2. Don’t close your eyes  - When you recognize a need in your community, it means that God has assigned you to meet that need in whichever capacity you can. Do not ask of someone else what your hands can do. (Luke 10:33)
3. Act – The good Samaritan acted quickly to help the stranger who was robbed and left for dead. Procrastination can deny someone a blessing that God wanted to provide through you. (Luke 10:34)
4. Create consistency – Kindness is not a single act but a lifestyle, find a way to meet the needs of others daily. This can be achieved by diligent planning and being intentional. (Luke 10:36-37)

Remember, a community is like a farm, and for a farm to yield the much-needed harvest, everyone needs to play their part, from the workers who prepare the soil, plant, and water the seed, collect the harvest, to those who buy the product. I pray that you will reflect and make a stand, to choose a role to play, and God will see you through.