Five Minute Friday - Together
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TOGETHER
Funny that this word comes up now. Recently our work group has been huddling
over what it means to be a team; to work as a team; to be a member of a team.
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| Image Courtesy of adamr/FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
At the end of it all it means togetherness. Cliché, I know, but there's no "I"
in team. Period.
We weren't designed to be alone, to do it all on our
own. God's Word, in the very picture of the
Church, is togetherness. Starting with
our togetherness in God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. A togetherness that is oneness. That oneness fuels our purpose and enables us
to practice this togetherness.
This togetherness is based in service. We work together and serve one another. In our togetherness no one alone gives. We give and receive; give and take; back and
forth; again and again. Together we
can. Alone, well, is lonely.
Aloneness has its time and place but we are rarely called to
give aloneness a right to be front and center.
In our separation, times of quiet and seeming aloneness we are able to
renew our spirits through all that is whispered to it by the Spirit. Empty for refilling, we are ready again for
togetherness.
Agreed, we sometimes leave our time of quiet aloneness
kicking and screaming, not feeling ready or equipped to face togetherness, but
grace upon grace, perpetual grace, gently whispers, "Go. Yes, you can.
Trust Me."
Ready, set, go. Not
just for Five Minute Friday but for the busyness of the day; for purpose; for
togetherness.
Your Turn: How do you benefit from togetherness?
Comments
Funny how the enemy can take one's determination to do what God has ordained for us to an extreme though. It is so easy now to do things with a group rather than on my own, and I struggle to find that quiet time with the Lord that I feel so strongly about! It is daily on my heart, in my mind and my prayer for the Lord to help me become that balanced person that I know we are meant to be.
I struggle with "feeling" that I don't "do" enough and at the same time that I don't spend enough time with the Lord...one-on-one. It is a battle, you know, and I the enemy is diligent in trying to keep me focused on "me" rather than on the Lord first and others second.
Fortunately I have several personal friends to confide in on a spiritual basis as well as a small group that gathers weekly at our house to share and learn from each other about how God is, has and hopefully will use us to further his Kingdom.
I want to thank you for this wonderful blog entry and for reminding us that we need to be with other...to worship God together...to do God's work together! God saw from the very beginning of mankind that we needed others. That it is not good to e alone. Yes, there is strength in numbers, keener spiritual insights in the communion of the saints, and so much more can be done as we work and worship together.
I do have a core belief that I've learned from my own journey that there are many seasons in our lives of what I call "empty for filling". There have been times for me that meant pulling back on all the doing and being still and allowing Him to refill me and redirect me. I think of the pot the Samaritan woman carried to the well, empty as her tired, worn-out heart that was longing to be really seen and known and loved as she was, not for what she could give to another.
She was so isolated and then ran toward togetherness to share the Good News, much like your new creature experience.
Thanks for sharing part of your story with me.