“It is not good for the man to be alone.” Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
The Bible often compares life to a walk—because life is a journey. We don’t sit still! Throughout the New Testament, we are told to walk in wisdom, love, light, and obedience. We’re told to walk as Jesus walked.
We’re also told to walk alongside other people through life. Here are three reasons you need to walk with other people:
It’s safer. Have you ever walked alone at night through a dark alley or down a lonely country road? It’s a little scary. But if you have another person with you, you feel safer.
It’s supportive. Life is not a 50-yard dash. It’s a marathon. Walking with other people gives you the energy and encouragement you need to keep going until the end.
It’s smarter. You learn more by walking with others than by walking alone. If you’re walking alone in the wrong direction, you may never realize it. But if you have a friend beside you, one of you is likely to recognize that you’ve veered off the path and need to find the right direction.
There are some important lessons you learn when you walk with other people. You learn how to get along and cooperate with others.
You also learn how to love. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (NIV). God hates when you are lonely, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. When you walk with other people, you find a community where you learn how to love more like Jesus.
Walking alongside other people also teaches hospitality. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (NIV). What’s your grumble? What’s your excuse for not opening your home to friends?
Maybe you’ve said, “My home is dirty!” Your friends are more interested in spending time with you than they are your housekeeping skills—and they show grace.
Or perhaps your excuse is, “My home isn’t big enough.” Can you put three people in it? Jesus says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20 NIV).
Everybody has a longing for belonging because God made us for relationships. When you walk alongside other Christians in community, you find that longing satisfied.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
When did you keep going through a struggle because other people faithfully walked with you?
What excuses have you used to avoid practicing hospitality? What do you need to change about your attitude?
Who are the people in your life that you can walk alongside? How will you show them today that they are not alone?
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
God hates when you are lonely, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. Learn three reasons why you need to walk with other people through life in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days of Community – 2023, Community, God’s Family, Friends, Small Groups, Relationships, Humility, Grace, Christian Living, Love, Encouragement, Loneliness, Genesis 2, 1 Peter 4, Matthew 18
Broadcast Series: 40 Days of Community – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days of Community
Sermon: 016201_Why We Need Each Other
