Session 7

Why you need to let others into your spiritual life

From Chasing Purpose: A 27-Day Devotional

Polite Southern mamas everywhere teach us that faith is a private matter. It’s a staple of every etiquette class, but far from biblical.

Psalm 95 repeats the phrase “let us” six times in the first six lines. The psalmist never says, “Let me.” It’s always, “Let us.” The reason is simple: Worship is something we’re meant to experience together.

Our spiritual lives are personal, but they were never meant to stay private. We fulfill the Great Commission and deepen our understanding of God when we share our faith with others.

Too often, we want to believe we can follow Jesus without others’ help — as if accepting help from another Christian is admitting defeat. We were never meant to do this alone. Jesus surrounded Himself with the disciples. And God, whose image we bear, exists in community: Father, Son, and Spirit.

We were made for community. We become the church Jesus prayed for when we are operating as one (John 17:21-22). And, we get a glimpse of eternity when we are worshipping together as one (Revelation 5:12).

Left on our own, we’ll grow a bit and we’ll learn some things about God. But surrounded by other believers who will celebrate with us and challenge us, we’ll see and experience more than we ever thought possible.

So let us acknowledge that we need others and that others need us. Let us unite and build each other up so we can be the people God made us to be.

Reflect:

• Who are your people who challenge you and celebrate with you?
  
• How has community shaped your understanding of God? Are there things you’ve learned about God in community that you don’t think you would have experienced anywhere else?
  
• What’s one way you can step into deeper relationships with the believers in your life?