It Takes a Flock?

I viewed a movie this weekend called Joshua. Joshua is a modern day parable of what happens to people when they encounter Jesus. I won't go into the movie itself. Check out the link and look it up for yourself. I must say, though, that the movie is well done and correllations could easily be made between the characters in the movie and characters in the Bible - probably even in our own lives or people God has put in our lives.

Anyway. . .when the movie begins you see Joshua coming upon a church that had been battered and destroyed by a storm. A huge tree had fallen on the church. As the story progresses you see the community - different denominations, races, and ages - coming together to rebuild the church.

Here's where a thought hit me - when the storms of life, the valleys of life, hit us does it take a flock to rebuild our lives? I'm under the impression it does. I do not believe God ever intended for us to do it alone or to be a lone ranger. Often times, especially if you're a guy, we think, "We can handle this," or "I don't need anyone." BUNK!!

We need eachother - Paul tells us to encourage, comfort, and build each other up. I can tell you from my own valley experience that because of some incredibly encouraging and comforting believers I have been built up! I know, without any doubt, that I am able to keep moving forward because of the love, time, and energy these fellow sheep shared with me.

Here's another thing - flock, you need to step up and come alongside these in the valley. They need you and you need them. Some of you are wonderfully gifted to encourage, invest, and build them upl I honestly beleive that if we, the flock, came around more people we would take our eyes off our own petty needs, there would be less territorialism, and less fall out from members of the flock fading away and being devoured by the enemy.

Yes, I need these people in my life - now, but as God uses them to minister to me, He is also using me and my situation to minister to others. Sometimes this happens without me even knowing it. For example: Because of their willingness to invest in me, God is using me - through this blog - to minister to others. I get emails and comments from people I don't even know who say that my expereince and the lessons I have learned over the last several months have ministered to them.

So, where does this leave us? Great question. Here's where I am on this whole thing.

1) God has called us to live in community with one another and expects us to minister to each other in that community

2) If you have experienced a storm or valley in your life you need to allow others to encourage, comfort, and build you up - you cannot do it alone.

3) If you are a valley expereincer realize that no one can help you if you don't share your experience with someone else. Don't expect there to be a flood of help when you keep it to yourself. TELL SOMEONE!!

4) Flock, encourage someone. It's hard sometimes. It can be time consuming. Life's messy, but so is yours. It's what we're called to do. Do it and you'll reap benefits you haven't yet imagined.

5) Valley experiencer - don't be a sponge. God can and will use you if you let him. To be honest, if all you do is receive the flock will grow tired of giving and you will never know the blessing of being used by God to encourage and minister to someone else. Take your eyes off of you - It's not about you (heard that a lot over the last couple of years, but it's still true).

Hope this helps.

Being built up,
Mike