Never Going Back: Exchanging the Everyday for God's ExtraordinarySample

Settling for Superficial

Reflect

When her husband died and her mother-in-law was returning to her own homeland, Ruth was at a crossroads. She could walk away and go back home to the same life she knew before. Or she could commit herself fully to a tethered life—a life with vulnerable, reliant, all-in relationships. Though it would have been safer to go back home, Ruth clung to Naomi. Whatever God was leading them toward—whether sorrow or joy, rejection or redemption—Ruth and Naomi were going to go through it together.

Nothing makes us long for community like its absence. As we’ve waited in our homes and stayed distant from people we love, many of us are realizing the value of authentic relationships. No longer will we settle for superficial friendships, hiding our needs and shying away from the heart issues that deserve committed, all-in connection with one another. Like Ruth, we’re turning away from the safety of the status quo and pledging to depend on one another with love, care, and selflessness. 

React

1. Who are the people who provide community for you?

2. Where is community absent or superficial in your life?

3. What does authentic and dependable community look like in Christ?

4. How have you experienced the kind of love talked about in 1 Corinthians 13 in your relationships?