Devotion to Community

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25

We live in a time where Christians seem to think that a commitment to gathering, to meeting corporately as a community of faith is something that is unimportant. As a pastor there is no question that this type of attitude can be frustrating. And to be clear not because I have a concern for numbers but because I have a concern for the growth and development of the people of God. When I read what the author of Hebrews writes it is oddly comforting to know that they had the same issue in the first century; ‘not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some’. Apparently it’s not a new issue, but it is an issue that will be detrimental to the spiritual development of followers of Christ.

One of the truths about this calling that we might not consider is that the call to a commitment of gathering with believers is a spiritual discipline. It takes discipline to make this a part of our lives. It is easy to get distracted and busied with the activities of our lives. It is easy to fall into times where we feel like we’re not getting anything out of it. It is easy to find ourselves in conflict with fellow members of the community of faith and get hurt or frustrated and as a result just choose not to gather. Its in these times it takes a discipline of commitment to live in obedience to living in community.

The author of Hebrews makes this clear. The gathering as a body of believers, in the community that the word of God establishes, is the means by which we are challenged by others and we challenge others (‘stir up one another to love and good works’), it is the means by which we encourage others and are encouraged by others. The declaration is this commitment isn’t simply about what you receive but what you also give so when we neglect to be a part of this exchange the entire community, every individual, suffers.

Is it always convenient? No. Is it always easy? Of course not. Do we find ourselves sometimes even in conflict? Unfortunately, yes. But obedience to the word that produces disciples of Christ requires us to push through, to not neglect meeting together.

This is a discipline of our faith. As much as prayer, as much as worship, as much as giving, as much as forgiveness, and when we discipline ourselves in obedience to God’s word we will be blessed and we will be a blessing to others.