W.A.I.T. Part 4: Fellowship Beats Self-Reliance

Genesis 2:18 "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'"

Living in America has effectively brainwashed the masses into assuming that they can do everything on their own. We are to just "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps" and soldier on through life, giving no thought to anybody else. This is exactly the kind of thinking I'm sure God frowns upon. As was highlighted in the verse at the top of this post, God desires for His people to have community and to rely on one another, not our own strength. This is exactly why Eve was created out of Adam's rib; to be his companion. God knew that Adam needed a helper, so He created a suitable one so that Adam would not get lonely in the Garden.
The same goes for us today. We are to be in community with one another in order to create the unifying Body of Christ. Romans 12:4-5 outlines this point by stating, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Each and every person has a specific function within the body, and it is only when we all work together that we can find harmony. No single person has all of the answers, which is why we must turn to our brothers and sisters within the church for help. Not only can they assist us with our questions, but our fellow Christians can also pray for us and hold us accountable. If we stumble, we don't want to be alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 serves as a wonderful example of why we need each other: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."
Just this past week I had to remind myself about the benefits of the Body of Christ. I had a job interview on Thursday and I had mentioned it to my family earlier in the week so that they could pray for me. They urged me to share with other members of my Bible study group, but I'll admit that my first response to this idea was that I didn't want to ask for prayers. My gut reaction was that it was selfish to have others focus their prayers on me and my job interview, but then it hit me. It was even more selfish to rely on myself to get through the job interview without asking others for their prayers and support. Once I thought about it in that light, I immediately passed on the message to a handful of my friends at Bible study to please hold me in prayer, which they did gratefully. It was a great learning experience for me to remember to humble myself enough to ask for help instead of just relying on myself.
The Body of Christ is also a great place to eagerly seek counsel from others. The Book of Proverbs highlights the benefits of having others to counsel us. Proverbs 15:22 relays, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed," while Proverbs 18:1 expresses, "An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels." It is only when we express our plans to others that we succeed and avoid silly quarrels with others. When we think only of ourselves and not how our decisions might impact others around us, that is when we can run into trouble. It is best to seek the wisdom of others around us who are outside the situation in order to gain a different perspective on how to handle a particular set of circumstances.
Lastly, it is best to try and leave at peace with one another because we are essentially one big family. In Ephesians 4:2-3, it says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." This doesn't mean that everyday is going to be happy-hunky-dory, but if we strive to be patient with each other, we are better off in the long run. It is better to try and include everybody because nobody should feel like an outcast amongst other believers. Today, I was grateful for an elderly couple to extend an offer for me to join them for lunch at the local diner. Little did they know that I was dealing with a bit of anxiety because I felt a bit out of place surrounded by the numerous people, along with feeling disappointed over the reminder that my own grandmother has decided to cut herself off from her family. It was a moment that I felt quite lost and was questioning if I was indeed a part of the community, but their invitation served as a pleasant reminder that I am loved and hold a place of value within the Body of Christ. My goal is to continue to remind myself that I have a place within the community and that it is best to turn to others when I feel lost, rather than depend on myself. Not until I fully grasp this concept will I be able to thrive as a Christian.