Experiencing Life Together

Life is meant to be shared. God intendsfor us to experience life togehter. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship. Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. "Fellowship" now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food and fun.

Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other " one another" commands found in the New Testament.

In real fellowship people experience authenticity. Authenticity fellowship is not superficial, surface-level chit-chat. It is genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level, sharing. It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. they share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclosure their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.

In real fellowship people experience mutuality. Mutuality is the art of giving and receiving. It's depending on each other. Mutuality is the heart of fellowship.

In real fellowship people experience sympathy. Sympathy is not giving advice or offering quick, cosmetic help; sympathy is entering in and sharing the pain of others.

In real fellowship people experience mercy. Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren't rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don't understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.

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Point to ponder: I need others in my life.

verse to remember: "Share each otehr's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Galations 6:2

question to consider: What one step can I take today to connect with another believer at a more genuine, heart-to-heart level?