Community & Faith – Why we are not meant to walk this journey alone.
When I think about community and faith, I think of all the different religions. Sadly, instead of uniting us, these differences often cause division within our communities. Yet, we were never meant to walk this journey alone. God created us to be companions and supporters of one another, but we often find ways to separate ourselves.
We should love people and fellowship with those who love the Lord. What if, just for a moment, we took the titles off of our relationships?
What if we removed the labels? Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Christian, Presbyterian—all of them. Strip away the denominations and focus on what matters most: Do we love the Lord?
Can we sit with anyone, regardless of their denomination, and share our excitement about how He loves us and the sacrifice He made for all of us? Because at the end of the day, our shared love for God is what truly matters.
One of my favorite people attends a Baptist church, and I attend a Christian church. But I do not define myself by the label of “Christian.” Instead, I focus on having a relationship with God. I love my church members and I love my friend Krystal, too. To me, this is what Jesus designed it to be—not about religion, but about relationship.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NIV):
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
Because of my view, I have created my own unique community, free from division. I understand that people have applied rules to religion that Jesus never applied to us. We are all reading the same Bible (unless you are reading the Quran, which even then has some similarities). The core message remains the same: Love God and love each other.
Be neighborly to your neighbor. Remove the rules and love people for who they are and where they are. God places different people in our lives because no one person can carry everything we need.
Matthew 18:20 (NIV):
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV):
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
We are not meant to walk this journey alone. God calls us to love, support, and build each other up. True community is about relationship over religion.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us to live in community. Help us to see past denominations and religious labels, and instead, focus on loving one another as You have loved us. Guide us to build relationships rooted in Your truth, compassion, and grace. May we always encourage and support each other on this journey. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
#SacredWisdom #DailyDevotional #CommunityAndFaith #RelationshipOverReligion #LoveOneAnother #BodyOfChrist #BuildingTogether #Matthew1820 #Hebrews1024