Thankful for brothers and sisters in Christ
Often, during the Thanksgiving season, we are exhorted to remember to be thankful for God and what he has done. And how could we not give you that same encouragement! We have an amazing God who has done so much for us. In Scripture, worship and thankfulness are often linked when we talk about God. It is through realizing that God is awesome, glorious, and mighty that we give him thanks—and we call that worship.
This month, we will be sharing articles from our elders and members as they reflect on God and what he has done in their heart and life that has led them to greater awe, thankfulness, and worship of God. Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Luke Miller.
As I consider what I am thankful for during this season, many things come to mind and cause my heart to sing in thanksgiving. What rose to the top is God’s blessing in my life of having brothers and sisters in Christ.
I believe that one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given to his people is a community of believers. While Christ also meets us and ministers to us in lonely places, our faith is best walked out in community. I have been richly blessed to be a part of our particular community and by the ways I have been stretched, grown, humbled, and built up by it.
As followers of Jesus, we are exhorted to gather and live out our lives in a community with others who are seeking to live their lives for Christ as well.
We get to sharpen each other.
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
We get to intentionally belong to each other.
“So in Christ, though many, form one body, each member belongs to all the others,” (Romans 12:5).
I hope that in our community at Table Rock Church, we build a culture of belonging to each other: bearing each other’s burdens, quickly forgiving offenses, speaking into each other’s lives, pointing each other to the gospel of Jesus in all things.
In Matthew, Jesus promises that,
“where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
In being together in fellowship, united by the blood of Jesus and gathered in his name, we get to experience Christ’s very presence. This is a beautiful mystery that encourages me greatly. I have benefited from knowing Christ more deeply this year because of the many chances I have had to gather with my brothers and sisters, and I am deeply thankful for this blessing. Paul describes being in community with fellow believers as a mutual encouragement. This is a lovely picture that I feel often after meeting with others to discuss life, our faith, and how God is growing us.
So let us be thankful for the people that God surrounds us with at Table Rock and intentionally run our races together in community! Hear the encouragement to speak the gospel into each other’s lives with grace and truth. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us,
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).
May the Lord use each of us to bring mutual encouragement, may he help us to belong to each other, and may we all feel Christ’s very presence when we gather together, causing ever greater thanksgiving in our hearts!