A Call To Community

What is your mat? Fear. Pride. Anger. Pain. A paralytic man had four faithful friends that carried him on his mat to see Jesus in the book of Mark chapter two. The crowded house where Jesus taught kept the men from entering the home in the traditional way, through the door, yet these men stopped at nothing. From the rooftop they lowered their paralytic friend down with ropes to be healed by Jesus. The faith of these desperate friends allowed this young man to receive the forgiveness of sin and the ability to walk by the power and authority of Jesus Christ.

When we become involved in a community of Christians we allow people to come along side us through a difficult time, to carry us on our mat, so that eventually we can help others through their struggles. God promises in 2Corinthians 1:4 that we have a God of comfort and compassion, “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

I faced the fear of unemployment, the fear of my son dying from leukemia; the pain of abandonment, date rape, and abortion; the struggles of marriage and trying to train and teach my teenagers. I was even stuck on the mat of unbelief for years. When I humbled myself, admitting my need for help, I reached out to a group of women to study the Bible. I received prayer, encouragement, and accountability that changed my life.

I realized Jesus not only sits at the right hand of God in heaven, but he is with us in our darkest hour, in our valley. We are not alone. Jesus is by our side. We must allow the body of Christ, the church, to come alongside us to experience the love of Jesus through His people.

What is your mat? Do you need the support of a community to help you through a difficult time? Or maybe Jesus has brought you through a struggle where you can be that person that comes alongside someone who is hurting. This is the time to get off your mat, to get involved in a community of Christians, to do life together. Email me to help find a Bible teaching church in your area.