a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Growing up, I was never lonely. Unless I purposely isolated myself, I always had friends that I could call up at a moment’s notice and hang out with. Yet, there were times where I felt all alone.

Thankfully, I can’t remember the last time I felt alone. I know that God loves me because He has provided a loving group of people who care and encourage me. I know that some people have hard college years because they never allowed anyone in their life. This is not the case for me—and it makes my heart so happy to say this. I have been surrounded by people who I can laugh and hang out with, while also having great conversations about all the ways that Christ is moving through our lives.

I shared earlier this year that I have been working on vulnerability. I want to be more honest about who I am and what my life for the past 19 years has looked like. I’m still working on that transparency, and I have found that the biggest push for me has been my community group.

Since I started college, God has provided me with a safe place to go every Monday night full of wonderful women who love The Lord and me. I can share the depths of my heart and know that they won’t be laughed at. These girls know my hopes, fears, dreams, struggles, everything. And they accept me and work with me through it.

The first few weeks I met with my community I sat quietly and absorbed what everyone else was saying. I spoke out (maybe) once during my entire first month. When I finally realized that these girls genuinely cared about me, my perspective changed. I shared things with them that only a select few people that I had known for years knew about me. Over time, I realized that a community of people whose common factor is Christ is the ideal group of friendship anyone could ask for.

I’m not entirely sure what my life would currently look like if I had not intentionally sought out a community last year. I don’t want to know what it would look like because I know it would not be as good as my life is right now.

It breaks my heart to hear people who claim to be Christians that they don’t see or feel the need to live in community with other believers. Life is hard, but the Lord provided fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to help walk with us through hard times. God is undoubtedly sufficient for our needs, but He desires for us to be unified as his body.

So, if you claim to be a Christian, yet you refuse to partake in the unified body of Christ, I want you to really examine why you don’t want community. Consider going to church, joining a small group, or just meeting with a few other believers regularly. God does great things in individual lives, but greater things happen when the body of Christ gathers in His name.

“Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12