Living in Community

In light of this resolution (see last post), one piece of my puzzle that needs to be worked on is my relationships with others. In my mind is a harsh judgmental critic who finds flaws in anyone and everyone, and holds these flaws against people. I cannot live in community with this critic constantly pointing out problems with others. I need a good model for community. What better model than the Trinity? Jesus prays in John 17:11 that we as believers would be one, even as he and the Father were one. If this is Jesus’ prayer, we should take cues from Him and look at how he and the Father interacted.

1. They communicated. Scripture is filled with instances where Jesus prayed; he spoke to the Father. As a community of believers, we must communicate clearly and effectively with each other. Communication involves two things: Presenting information and receiving information. The first is usually done by speaking. If you have a grievance with a brother, tell him. Don’t let it simmer under the surface until it creates a much bigger problem than the one that existed before. But also, if you have a positive word to say, do not waste time in speaking it. “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” A history of positive, encouraging words makes a difficult confrontation much easier to swallow. If I have been verbally and visibly supportive of my sister, when I have to confront her about ungodly behavior, she knows that I have her best interests at heart and am sincere in my concerns. Be tactful in all of your interactions with your fellow believer, and always speak the truth in love. But be sure to not make the communication all about you. The art of listening is long forgotten today. Most people only wait for a pause in the conversation so they can put their two cents in. What the world needs today are active listeners. Not just hearers; there’s nothing special in hearing what someone says. The way to make a person feel special is to truly listen to what they have to say. Far too many relationships have been killed because of a lack of communication.