Living Life Together

It isn’t unusual; being humbled by God’s love through the lessons that He provides in various ways. As I sit and think more and more about the lessons that are being taught in the Childrens Ministry, I am again humbled with the realization that God truly is in control.


LifeKids (the group of older kids) and Grace Place (younger kids) are learning two different lessons but they very nicely can fit into each other. LK will be learning about following Jesus is more than just talking about it, it’s following his promptings. This often comes in “small” ways of helping others. So this week they will be talking about seeing a need and meeting that need. Things as easy as being nice to someone, offering an encouraging word to someone when they are down, helping someone when they need help, etc. That, to me, is just daily life stuff that we often don’t think about…and likely rarely connect the dots of doing that to God. (I think we tend to think of big things being connected to God, but not the little things.)

In Grace Place they are learning that God has put people in our lives to help us. This could be in the form of a parent, sibling, relative, teacher, friend, etc.

Since I have the honor of reading through all of the material for classes each week, I am able to ponder both lessons being taught. When the two worlds of LK and GP collide, I really see God impressing to me that those two things = living life together. When you have people in your life that help you, who take time to see your need and fill it, and that is returned to the person, that is part of living life together!

But more often than not, people are really hesitant to truly live life together. Why? When you look back through scripture you can see that people lived life together to such a degree that they would sell their own stuff to help others pay off their debt! That is something that would seem very far fetched in our world today. But do you think that people don’t want to allow others into their lives in such a close way because they don’t want to be “bothered”? Or is it that they don’t want to bother anyone? Is it because they are afraid of being judged? Or are they busy judging the other person? Or could it be that we allow ourselves to be so busy that we don’t make time for such a relationship? But I challenge that we make time for the things we want to have as a priority. Maybe it is because we are afraid of being hurt (again) and in some cases, we might be afraid of hurting the other person (again).

No matter the reason we may have for not allowing people into our lives and not reaching out to live our lives together with others, one thing is for certain, we were not made to live in any other way beside relationally. We are a relational people. Although voids are only truly filled by having Christ in our lives, having relationships with others is the main thing that we were made to do…and by the way, that especially includes our relationship with Jesus.

So while we are commanded to guard our hearts (I didn’t make that up, it’s in the Bible), and we must use discernment to know who we can truly expose all of our hearts to, we are just not meant to not live life together with others. We just aren’t made that way. I encourage you – and at the same time encourage myself – to allow yourself to live life with others. To experience the fullness of living life together. To see a need and meet that need. To realize the people that God has put in your life for a reason. To allow others to step in and fill the gaps in your life by encouraging you, loving you, and praying for you.

This week’s lessons are profoundly timely being that Thanksgiving is coming up in a few days. What and who are you thankful for this year? How can you honor God’s gift of friendships that He specifically chose for you? Life life together!

Lord, thank You that You have provided some of the most amazing people in my life; from family to friends to my own church family! You definitely knew what You were doing when You put this puzzle together! Help me to know when to open my heart to others, know when to help others, know how to recognize a need and provide the resources to be able to meet it, and be constantly in a state of thankfulness for the people that You have blessed me to live life with!