Community Matters

” Blessed is the one

who does not walkin step with the wicked

or stand in the waythat sinners take

or sitin the company of mockers,

 but whose delightis in the law of theLord,

and who meditateson his law day and night.”

Psalm 1:1-2

Who you surround yourself matters. In the season of isolation, I’ve been so thankful to go to a church who not only abides by government laws, but also knows when and how to meet with one another safely. Lately Living Way just had a few sermons that talked a lot about how crucial it is to have the church body meeting with one another, vital for our souls. And I have to agree, in the midst of isolation, lacking meet ups and even being in the middle of sorta new but also not knowing many people deeply, I found myself swimming by myself at times, leading to lots of discontentment and not resting in Christ. I ended up looking to other people, hoping for certain things, and just pointing all the bad in everything I saw, questioning where God is. But that’s for my next blog, something that God has opened my eyes to in my time of 1 and 2 Chronicles is counsel.

The importance of advice is keen to our walk of faith and has to do with importance of the church body- who you surround yourself with matters.

During one of the sermons, my pastor kept emphasizing that point: who you surround yourself with matters. And you see it all throughout the Old Testament, especially in the book of Chronicles. You see some kings listen to wicked counsel and that leads to them not walking in the ways of the Lord and ultimately leading to God forsaking them and either Judah or Israel. Or on the other hand, there are ( rare but it’s okay) some kings who walk in the ways of the Lord with their whole heart and usually that is tagged with “ because they followed in the counsel of.....” ( fill in the blank) a prophet of God.

But I was most challenged by as I conclude Chronicles is not only this idea of good and bad counsel, but God-fearing and worship counsel. In 2 Chronicles 26:3-5 “ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.“

Instructed him in the fear of God. I was challenged by this because how often does my counsel and advice and even just doing life with people lead them to fear and worship God. And I’m not just saying causing them feel guilty, shame, because that’s not of God. But as I reflect and meditate on this concept of : good counsel, I want to strive to first sit at the feet of Jesus and abide because I can do nothing apart from him ( John 15). But in the opportunities that I have to either give or receive counsel, does it cause me to see God for who He is, lead to worship him or is it just advice that aims to make the person feel comfortable temporarily.

Just food for thought that this verse caused me to think about: is my goal to surround myself/ be the person to make me or the other person feel good and comfortable or is it about building one another up to revere God, understand his love, grace for us, and worship him for who he is!