So, other than discovering that couchsurfing is my new favorite way to travel, I was given a lot of time to reflect on things this week. While I am very uncertain about things in my future, I've realized that God has blessed me in so many ways in my past and for that reason alone, I've got no reason too stop trusting him now. I've always known this, but in particular, one realization in particular has led to that reaffirmation for me.
A little background info: I've recently started being an accountability partner with Ryan. Among other things, this means we check in on each other on a daily basis to see if the other has spent time in the word and we call each other out when the other isn't living up to their faith--whether that has to do with things we are doing or things we aren't doing. As if that wouldn't be hard enough, we also live about three hours away from each other, which means this whole thing depends not only on us being completely honest when we are asked about things, but it often means we seek out time to talk with the other and start off the conversation with "I messed up by..." This has been very challenging to do even though I have absolute confidence in him; it just isn't my nature to want to call someone to tell them the details of how I fall short.
Anyways, during the last night of our couchsurfing experience, two other couchsurfers ended up staying in the house as well. The next day, my friend and I were spending time reading through some scripture and one of the girls came and joined us. We didn't know anything about her or her friend, but it soon became clear that she is very committed to her faith but is going through a tough time in her life. She explained to us that she, like many other committed Christians, is struggling to find an authentic Christian community in which she can be challenged to grow in her faith. She has visited different ministries and churches and even tried to create this community with some of her friends, but it just wasn't working. She wanted to know from us how our relationship had gotten to the point it is at now.
As she shared her story with us and left us with that question, I was challenged to think about how Ryan and I had gotten to this point. We tried to offer genuine responses to this question as best we could, but the best advice we could come up was something to the effect of: it has to be someone who wants the same thing as you, someone who you care for so much that you wouldn't allow yourself to be dishonest with them, etc. All of these are real traits that you need in an accountability partner, but I don't think we really answered what she wanted to know: how does it happen? In fact, I know I couldn't fully answer her question because even now I'm not sure; I have continued to think about her question ever since.
Unfortunately I don't have a five step model to making authentic Christian community, but in hopes of helping people work towards that goal, I do have some suggestions. Hopefully this will be helpful to someone, but if you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment below.
-Without any doubt, I believe the first step to finding this kind of community is prayer. Name that desire before God and then be ready to do some work in yourself. I say be ready to do some work because, even if God had put someone in my life 5 years ago who could have been there for me, I was not ready for it and would not have been committed to it.
-Be honest with those who God has put in your life about your desire for community. I believe all people are hungry for authentic relationship and I believe that's what the church is described as in Acts 2. Until we seek this community out with our fellow brothers and sisters, we aren't going to find it. Also, don't limit yourself as to where you look; inconvenient relationships are intentional relationships.
-Sustaining these relationships takes a lot of humility and a lot of work; until you're to the point that you're willing to submit to both of those, it isn't going to be successful. When we first considered trying this out, Ryan said to me, "Kyle, if this is only going to be a two week thing, then let's not even start it." In him saying that, I knew he was ready for the commitment this would take and, recognizing what a blessing this could be for me in my journey, I agreed to put in the work; the humility is still a work in progress.
-Don't lose hope. God responds to each of us not on a first come, first serve basis, but in a way that meets the needs we currently have: accountability partners, prayer partners, book studies, bible studies, etc. Keep your eyes open for where God is at work in your life.
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."-Acts 2:42-47
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