It’s been about three years since we first heard the word that changed our world—COVID. While many of COVID’s effects were evident immediately, some didn’t show up until later, but their impact proved far-reaching and long-lasting. One such effect was caused by prolonged isolation.
Studies from the CDC and the US Census Bureau reported that from 2019 to the end of 2020, anxiety and depressive disorders skyrocketed from 10.8 percent to 42.4 percent. That’s almost a 400 percent increase! Several factors could have contributed to this increase (fear, tragic loss, etc.), but one was certain: we lost our sense of community. And community is what we were created for.
In Genesis 2:18, after God created the first man, he said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Think about this—God had just created the heavens, the earth, and all that fills it. Still, in that moment, those incredible things weren’t His focus. His focus was on relationship. Why? Because He knew community would be vital both to fulfilling His purposes in the earth and to His people continually encountering His goodness.
Throughout Scripture, we see that godly community has many benefits. First, godly community (common-unity) pleases God’s heart. Psalm 133:1 (ESV) says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” As a dad of two young children, I especially relate to this verse! Something special happens when we live in unity with one another, working toward the common good together.
Second, godly community helps us grow. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Relationships are designed to sharpen us, exposing our shortcomings and encouraging us as we grow.
Third, godly community keeps us safe. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “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…” In godly community, we help each other stay safe from the enemy’s schemes and continually progress on the path God has for us.
Fourth, godly community gives us purpose. Romans 12:4-5 says, “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.” Why can no one person do it all? Because God wanted us to need each other. We all need something someone has, and we all have something someone needs. This is community.
Have you embraced godly community in your life? If not, I encourage you to find one and stick with it, pushing past any offense, pride, or insecurity that may try to hold you back. Godly community is a gift—one that helps us grow in faith, remain safe, live with purpose, and enjoy God’s goodness in season after season!
