Have you ever tried to do something by yourself & it totally backfired? When I was in high school, I was notorious for trying to do everything by myself. I was involved in so many activities and by the time I got home for the day, usually pretty late at night, I had a lot of things to bring into the house. Well, one time I needed to bring in my backpack, my dance bag, my lunchbox, my water bottle, a school project, my keys, the mail, my coffee from that morning, and a few other small things from the backseat of my car. Like all very confident people, I was determined to bring it all inside in one trip (cause taking multiple trips is just crazy right?!). I managed to stack everything on top of itself & I actually had it all under control! Well, at least until I got to the front door of my house… I was so full handed; there was no way I could open the door & carry all the things by myself, but I was determined. I had everything balanced on my arms perfectly and I went to open the door, and I can assure you, it did not go over well… I ended up dropping several things, I did not successfully unlock the door, and I think I accidentally scared my dog in the process! It then took me SOOOO long to get everything inside. I attempted to handle it all by myself, but my goodness it was a disaster!!
The Bible says the same thing happens to us when we isolate ourselves
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
Friend, you were not called to live life alone. No one is asking you to carry your burdens by yourself. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Galatians 6:2 commands us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” God has given us community, so that we don’t have to walk through the highs and lows of life by ourself. As shown by my attempt to bring everything inside my house by myself, it’s gonna be a disaster. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (above) reminds us that two are better than one because when one falls (like when I dropped everything trying to get into my house), the other can come alongside the fallen friend to help carry the burden and encourage him/her to press on.
Community is good! The Lord has surrounded you with people to love and be loved by. Community is a two way street, my friend. Just like you are going to need someone to walk alongside you in the heaviness and celebrate with you on your best days, someone else needs that too. So, check in on your people. Who needs to be encouraged today? How about celebrated? Or who may need to be supported in a difficult matter?
Now, I understand that this is a little tricky with our current situation. Right now we are supposed to be staying away from people and staying inside. That seems like the opposite of community. Even though we are physically distant from one another, community is still important, and there is a way to connect differently!
Here’s some of my ideas for encouraging your friends, supporting your friends, and having some fun while also being in physical isolation…
- FaceTime a friend (is there someone you haven’t heard from in a while?)
- Send out a text to your friends asking for prayer requests. Open that door to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2)
- Write letters to your friends! Everyone loves snail mail (:
- Use Zoom or FaceTime to do a Bible study with some friends (If you need somewhere to start, look for a devotional book to do together or talk about a sermon you saw or something you read)
- Use Zoom to do a YouTube workout with your friends
- Use Zoom to try YouTube tutorials with your friends (a few weeks ago, my friends and I did a makeup tutorial together, and it was SO fun!)
- Set up a Netflix Party! (This is an extension of Netflix that you can download online. It allows you to watch a show/movie with a group of people on different devices. There’s a chat box on the side so you can talk too!)
- The app “House Party” has games that you can play with your friends over video chat
- Look for games you can play online with friends (My friends and I LOVE playing Skribbl.io)
- Sit in the trunk of your cars in a parking lot to chat from a distance!
Use your own discretion when making plans to hang out with people online or in person (please be safe!). There are ways to live in community at a distance. We can still have fun and hold one another accountable even in physical isolation! I hope this gave you some ideas and inspired you to live in community during this time! If you have any other ideas for engaging in community while social distancing, please share them in the comments below!
YOU ARE LOVED <3
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity.”
Psalm 133:1