Fellowship is still important in some places. But in first world countries there’s just no time. Especially when we have bills to pay, kids to raise and social media pages to keep current. And anyway, it requires effort to get together with other people.
But here’s the thing… no matter how self-sufficient we might think we are, we were created for community and fashioned for fellowship. It’s in our DNA. Each one of us loves to be acknowledged and we tend to gravitate to people who accept us. So, as Christians, we should be the first people that others should gravitate to, because we are meant to love and accept, not judge and reject. And we often get that so wrong.
None of us like rejection. That’s often the reason we don’t make the effort to spend time with others – the fear of rejection. There are so many loners out there, not because that’s what they would choose for themselves, but it’s what others have chosen for them, because of their judgement. I spent a long time in that lonely place. It was a struggle to find a place where I was celebrated. But when we do find those special people who love us unconditionally (and that doesn’t mean condoning our behaviour) we find a place of fellowship.
Fellowship means gathering with others who show us grace. And that means they love us when we don’t really deserve to be loved. Fellowship means we spend time with those who don’t highlight our iniquities, but encourage us to do better. Eventually, that sense of accountability and gratitude for those people, changes us. That love we have been shown, surpasses all our understanding and it gives us a new lease on life.
My prayer is that the world will find that safe place of fellowship with you and I. That we will start a revolution of grace and love as Jesus did, does and always will.
Have an amazing day!
Mark Davidson
