Fellowship and Involving Others
When was the last time you asked for another’s input and critique of your life?
Over at the New Attitude Blog (another good blog to add to your list if you read blogs) Isaac Hydoski wrote a post last week entitled “Involve Others, Invite Input.” This is just one aspect of the fellowship that Josh preached on this last Sunday.
Here are some highlights.
We’re created to need others. In the beginning we were created to first have fellowship with God and then have fellowship with each other. We were never created to get by alone, to simply trust our own thoughts and opinions. So I want to introduce a very simple but necessary concept: biblical involvement in a local church means involving others in your life and inviting their input.
Why we can involve others
The basis of both our fellowship with God and our relationship with other people is the Gospel. The Gospel unites us to God through faith so deeply and pervasively that we’re not only united to God, but we’re now united to His people.1 John 1:3 says, “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (ESV).
Our temptation not to involve others
Proverbs 18: 1-2 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (ESV). The man pictured in this verse isolates himself. What he is doing flies in the face of the community that he’s been brought into. He’s there with them, but he doesn’t involve them in his life. He doesn’t want input. He thinks he’s fine on his own.Are you isolating yourself from that community? Separating yourself from this community? When you do you isolate yourself from the grace and help that God intends to give you through other people.
But let’s be honest, sometimes isolating ourselves can be an expression of our desire to go our own way. I can start to think, “I want to do what I want to do, so I’m going to separate myself—maybe not in all areas, just in this one. I’m not going to get counsel. This is something I really want to do.” I’ve experienced this in my life, and I don’t want you to. The result of this, verse one says, is that this person “breaks out against all sound judgment.” That’s the result of isolating yourself.
How to involve others
We all need help because we’re blinded by our own sin, so there is safety through wisdom and counsel. Scripture calls us to weigh decisions, to weigh choices, to weigh our preferences against counsel. Purposefully involving people in your life means….
- Going to others when you’re making decisions and choices.
- Going to others when you need help discerning your sin.
- Going to others when you need encouragement to pursue godliness.
- Going to others when you make decisions about how you should spend your time and your money.
So want to know if you’re doing a good job involving others and making them a part of your life? Consider these questions: Do others know what you do with your time? Do you they know what you do after work? Do they know what you do at work? Do they know what you do at school? Do they know what you like to do with your free time? Do they know who your friends are? Do people have a knowledge of you beyond what they see at church and in your small group?
Involve people in your life. Then ask them for input. When you do you’ll enjoy the grace of God and grow in wisdom.
Here’s some simple homework to get this into your life:
1. Enlist 3 people in your life that you value and trust.
2. Come up with 3 specific questions you want others to ask you regularly.
3. Also, ask your 3 people if there is anything they are presently concerned about in your walk with the Lord.
4. Ask again in 2 months.