Going It Alone
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20
One aspect for which I am grateful is the ease with which I can ask for help in prayer. Previously, I encountered an issue related to pride. It was not that I believed myself too self-sufficient to seek God's help. On the contrary, I often found solace in looking toward the heavens and expressing to God, “I cannot do this alone without Your guidance and help.” However, my challenge lay in requesting others to pray for me. This involved approaching someone known to me and asking for their prayers to support my journey. You could say that I would choose to ‘go it alone’ because others have their own problems. Why burden them with my own issues?
It was not merely a casual ‘just pray for me’ request to pray; it was a detailed and sincere appeal, such as saying, “I am struggling with an important conversation I need to have with my son regarding our relationship, and I need God's wisdom to articulate the right messages to him.” This level of sharing required openness and trust, unconcerned with judgment. It underscored the importance of trust not only in God but also in those individuals He has placed in my life.
Community with other Christians is a necessary step in our faith journey. Today’s verse actually is part of a story of Jesus speaking about correcting another in the church. While that indeed could very well be a lesson to learn, the emphasis today is about seeking one another. For example, I have never had problems talking with others or connecting with them for that matter. However, my struggle was always going to someone for help or assistance. It always felt like I was a burden, which explains my original struggles laying my burdens down at the feet of Christ.
You see, the Devil’s purpose for guilt is to give us the false pretense that it is a burden of shame that we are required to carry for the rest of your life. This is not to say that with God’s grace we should ignore our past sins as to be forgotten or that God’s grace allows us to continually sin without a conscience. Our past is a positive reinforcement of the power of His grace, and a willingness to live without sin is a symbol of our love of God for a gift we neither earned nor deserved.
We are unburdened from the past and encouraged to live for a better future. When we are in community with other Christians, we are better equipped to resist self-doubt and guilt. Our brothers and sisters in faith can remind us of God's promises, offer support, and pray for us. This shared connection helps to strengthen our resolve and provides us with the reassurance that we are not alone. When alone, we are apt to forget the forgiveness and strength offered to us, but within a community, we find the courage to move forward confidently, knowing we are supported by both God and our fellow believers.
We are made to be in community with each other. Jesus, of course, spoke for us to love each other as we love ourselves. Paul further underlines this, saying, "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:14) Outside of Christ Himself, there are few examples of perfection, but with love, we can find a perfect harmony. Alone, we are not perfect, but through Christ, the perfecter of our faith, and love for others, we can indeed find perfection within ourselves. Let us strive to create a circle of love that makes for the harmony Paul references. Who else can you build community with? How will you expand your heart to allow for greater harmony? My prayer is that we push ourselves to be humble community builders who can overcome our struggles and grow stronger in our faith. Not just go it alone. Amen.