Why I Need You

One of the best things to happen to me in a while is getting to be a part of what we at Midtown call a life group.  It’s basically a group of guys who don’t pretend to have it all together, but who genuinely want to be more like Christ.  You guys are amazing.

 

God has taught me a lot through this group, namely, the power of sharing life together.  We were talking a few weeks ago about what to do when you feel apathetic.  You know, those times when you know how much Christ loves you, but you just aren’t experiencing it.  You can’t really get excited about anything, you feel somewhat numb.  What do you do?  I’d hate to say it, but this is a place that those of us who follow Christ will find ourselves more often than we would like.

 

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:16-19

 

I’ve read this passage so many times, but the last time I read it something jumped out at me that I’ve never really paid much attention to before.  It’s the “together with all the saints” part.  Here’s what I got to thinking; maybe the only way we can experience the width, length, height, and depth of Christ is by being in community with all the saints.  What do you think?  Paul says this love surpasses knowledge.  It’s not just knowing it, its experiencing it, its encountering it…together.  Are we the primary vessel by which God communicates His love to us?   I think so.

 

Romans 15: 5-6 says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Endurance and encouragement seem to be good remedies for apathy. How do we receive that?  Unity perhaps?  I’m seeing this trend everywhere in Scripture.  Jesus says the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord, your God with all your heart, mind, and strength and then to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Here’s why this is important.  When we are apathetic, when we are depressed, when we find ourselves backsliding, or something devastating happens we have a tendency to withdraw and to isolate, don’t we?  When we aren’t experiencing God’s love we pull away from the primary vessel by which God show’s His love, people.

 

We were talking in my life group about how energizing our times together are.  If I’m honest, on my way to life group I’m not exactly looking forward to it. I’m tired from work, I feel sucked dry from trying to motivate people all day, and I’m not really sure I feel all that excited about doing the whole spiritual thing.  On my way home from life group that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I feel like I could conquer the world.  I feel inspired, I feel refreshed, I feel…loved.

 

A few weeks ago I was about to go into work and I was worn out, and a bit grumpy.  My roommate Heathe, and I started catching up on what God was up to in our lives.  After about a 15 minute conversation my work wasn’t ready for me.  I was a different person.  From a 15 minute conversation?

 

In fact some of the moments when I’ve felt the closest to God are moments spent in my kitchen.  For some reason that’s where all the good conversation takes place.  Sitting on the countertops, telling stories, laughing until my throat is sore.  Or like this summer when we had a college Bible study in my living room.  People, just talking about life and God, saw a group grow from about 5 to over 30 in a few weeks.  Talking about God is pretty appealing. 

 

So maybe you’re feeling apathetic, lethargic, un-inspired.  Maybe you’re backsliding, forgetting your first love.  Maybe you’re battling depression or maybe something has totally destroyed the world you live in.  Stop trying to sort it out on your own.  You can’t.  Try this.  Try starting a conversation with someone with these words, “God is…” or “God isn’t…” and see what happens from there.  Rob Bell says that two of the most powerful words in the universe are, “me too.” 

 

You need people.  I need people.  People need us.  Who are we making ourselves available to?  Who are we sharing life with?  It seems to me that in order to not just know that God loves us, but to actually experience it, feel it, we need each other.  This is why I need you, and this is why you need me.