Are you a loner? Do you often go about doing things by yourself? Do you lack trust in anyone else getting things done? Do you fail to discuss plans with others? Are you continuously isolating yourself?
Some of us are extremely social. We love being around others. We are continually talking with someone. Others of us are much less so, to the point of almost being a loner. We don’t care for a lot of interaction with others. And, sometimes, we isolate ourselves from others whether we are very social or more of a loner.
There are times we may need to a little alone time to sort out some things in our minds. Yet no one can continually go it alone. There are far too many tasks that require more than one person to complete. Even many tasks we think we can complete alone are done better with someone else.
The concept of needing others applies to our Christian walk as well. No one can be a Lone Ranger Christian. We need each other. We need to be in community. We are designed to learn from one another as Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
God blessed each of us with different talents. Each of us has been blessed with different spiritual gifts. Our different talents and gifts are not simply gifts to us as individuals but are gifts to be shared with others. We are to learn from and help each other. As Paul tells us in Romans 12:3-8, we are all part of one body and just as our human bodies have different parts to perform different functions, so we are as the body of Christ. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He sent them in pairs rather than alone.
These points show us that we need one another. We need to attend and participate as groups of Christians. In our current environment, that may mean online participation rather than in-person participation. However, when we can be together, we need to be together. Meeting and interacting with other Christians keeps us accountable and allows us to work for God in accomplishing His plan. It is important for our personal growth in Christ. Otherwise, when left to our own devices, we will stray, misinterpret, and get off the path God has laid out for us.
I pray we all attend and participate in group activities with other Christians. I pray we specifically seek to meet with other Christians with the purposes of learning and contributing. I pray each of us recognizes our need to be with other Christians. Seek opportunities to meet with other Christians. Seek to learn from one another. Seek to contribute to the learning of others. Be both the student and the teacher. Don’t try to be a Lone Ranger Christian.
Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
Marty Pressey 