Category: Kingdom Community

The 6th-century Celtic nun St. Brigid is reported to have said that “A person without a soul-friend is a body without a head.”[1] No matter how much status we have in the body of Christ we are to develop interdependence with some believers and express our need for them. In a godly relationship we go beyond encouraging and affirming one another in Christ. If it ended there it would become narcissistic for both, easily devolving into boosting each other’s self-esteem and just pleasing each other instead of pleasing God. Rather, since our top priority is pleasing God, it means that we help our friend to become like Christ and invite them to do the same to us. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17, NIV). We are secure in the friendship, so we are free to help each other to die to self. We point out Continue Reading →

When it comes to the 2nd great commandment to love others (Matt. 22:39) we have a much greater responsibility to show active love when someone is in our care. Below are three examples of this. We are under a higher obligation with respect to our family and housemates. If you have a problem with angry outbursts or other habits harmful to the wellbeing of your family or housemates (for example, substance abuse, gambling, infidelity, insensitivity, wide mood swings, etcetera) then you are under great obligation to break that habit. Unfortunately, many neglect this obligation but God will not. Such people will suffer loss on judgment day (Col. 3:25; 2 John 1:8). One’s obligation in this situation includes finding someone to help them if they cannot break the habit themselves within a few months. Many think they are fulfilling their responsibility just because they want to break a habit and sometimes Continue Reading →