Monday, September 28, 2009

The Importance of Fellowship

Our Shield of Togetherness
by Steve Arterburn


Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Alone we’re vulnerable to temptation. Together, however, we form a shield of protection for one another. God wants you and I to grow spiritually in a network of mutual commitment and accountability, where we help each other to think and live in new ways.

The apostle Paul wrote, “In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan” (Ephesians 6:16). The shield of faith was likened to the shields carried by Ro­man soldiers, which were able to cover the entire body.To advance in battle, a group of soldiers would assemble together, making a wall of shields for protection as they moved forward.

Similarly, we’re told to stick together. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other” (Hebrews 10:25). Our encourage­ment of one another and our shared faith in God and his Word will serve as the shield we need to persevere in tough times.

Who is standing beside you in the everyday battles of your life? Are you alone on the field or do you have trusted friends on each side? If you’re alone, how is that working out for you? Who has God called you to stand beside?

“If I have seen farther than other men, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” - Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

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I've been doing a lot of reading the past week regarding the consequences of growing up in dysfunction. I've always hated people that whined about their childhood issues; I've always thought that it was always just an excuse to not move on and be an adult.

What I'm beginning to realize is that there's a vast difference between acknowledging a problem + getting help and acknowledging a problem and wallowing in it.

I'm still struggling with my actions since I was 13. I'm beginning to see patterns I never really knew existed. And I'm trying desperately to change it.

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