Her Faith Thrives

Guest Post By Teara Kelly

This post is for the wanderers, the expats, and those who find themselves in the in-between.

You are welcomed here.

Do you often feel tempted to skip out on community when it is temporary?

I have  found myself here especially when it comes to faith based community. For the past six years, I have been involved with a number of churches, faith circles, and organizations due to school and life changes. To be honest I did not really feel like “plugging-in,” “finding community,” or “connecting myself to a life group” when I knew it was not forever.

Seeking out intentional faith-friendship & accountability was grueling, uncomfortable, disappointing, and sometimes plain awkward.

Relationships take time and I did not have a lot of that. Perhaps this is the instantly-gratified, 20- something millennial in me but I have seen how this mental framework pervades every season of life; no matter if you are a 22-year-old college student cramming for exams, or an 85-year-old living your best retired life.

We naturally do not want to invest when we are not promised something in return.

However, God has begun to show me differently.

A couple of years back I went on a crazy backpacking trip across Spain. I was excited to walk through the foothills of the Spanish countryside, but I found that the most priceless part of the trip was not the hills I walked, but the people I met on the way. Our friendships were short-lived. In many cases, we would never see each other again on the path due to different timelines and walking pace. Yet even in the pain of parting, I grew to see that these momentary interactions were precious. The words we spoke to each other, the stories we shared, and the encouragement we gave propelled us all to finish the trail that was often physically and mentally grueling. We needed each other to make it.

Jesus is the ultimate example of the expat (Luke 9:58). In His physical wandering, Jesus intentionally kept 12 wingmen (and wing women I might add) close to Him. As a pattern of life, we see Jesus repeatedly stop through towns and villages to heal, to make friends, and speak life to others even if just for a short time. Here are just a few examples to study further:

• Jesus turns when the woman experiencing vaginal bleeding touches His cloak (Luke 8:43-48)
• Jesus asks to hang out at Zacchaeus’ house (the unpopular tax collector) (Luke 19:1-10)
• Jesus shares the gift of life with the woman at the well (John 4:1-26)
• Jesus holds the little children despite disapproval from His disciples (Luke 18:15-17)
• Jesus and Mary sit down to talk (Luke 10:38-41) 

Oh, how we need Him, but oh how He modeled that He valued us. He chose to live out His calling as Emmanuel (God with us).

I am constantly made aware of how easy it is for me to brush aside community because it messes with my plans, doesn’t fit on my to-do list, or takes too much “effort” to invest in. Even in the transient, Jesus invested in relationships with others and welcomed personal inconvenience. If Jesus valued community, how much more should we?

In the book of Romans, our individual faith is compared to a vital organ in a larger system, the human body:

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:4-5).

Paul, who taught about Jesus wrote the following words to the Roman church, making an extraordinary claim: We belong to each other, and just like the different organs in the human body, we work in cohesion with each other to support life.

If the lungs, heart, or central nervous system start to shut down or become less efficient it hurts the rest of the body. Other organs must compensate which makes them less effective or the body shuts down completely and goes into emergency shock. In the same way, our individual faiths are tied to each other and directly affect our spiritual health. Paul explains it this way:

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching , then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully”(Romans 12: 6-8).

What I have been learning is that our faith is meant to be lived out amidst each other. We need each other’s gifts to function properly. Paul doesn’t beat around the bush here. Purposefully choosing not to invest in spiritual friendship and accountability starves your faith and the faith of those around you.

Don’t mishear me, there are times and outside circumstances that can practically make physical community difficult or inappropriate. This past year is a prime example with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, I have seen Jesus show up even during the new normal and be faithful to bring faith accountability in surprising ways as I ask Him to.

So here is my encouragement to you today in whatever in-between you find yourself: The body of Christ needs you. I need you.

Your perspective, unique spiritual gifts, and story are vital for my faith to grow. The same is true for you, you need people for your faith to grow too.

I can’t guarantee Christian community will be perfect. Being in meaningful relationships with others does not shield us from the pain, hurt, or disappointment living in a broken world. But I have realized that despite the pain that comes with doing life with each other and the inevitable “good-bye,” investing in meaningful faith driven friendships is worth it. Together we learn what it means to “mourn with those who mourn,” “overcome evil with good,” (Romans 12:21) “pursue peace with each other,”(Hebrews 12:14) and “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). This kind of spiritual growth is pretty incredible and only happens when we are doing messy life together.

I’m thanking Jesus these days for the gift of “us” even when it’s transient or hard.

Will you join me?

 Reflective questions:

• Growth: What are your reservations and fears when it comes to pursuing community?Are there wounds you need Jesus to speak into and heal? Are there mindsets you have that have been keeping you from investing in spiritual accountability with others in your current season of life? 
• Connection: How can you practically pursue community where you are right now?(If meeting in person is still not an option right now, some ideas on how to pursue community include: weekly prayer phone calls, reading the Bible together over the phone, sharing virtual meals over face-time or zoom etc.)
• Gratitude: Take time to reflect and write down the names of people who have encouraged you in your faith or taught you more about Jesus. Seek those people out and consider sharing with them the impact they have made in your life.

Teara Kelly is a Texas native (hey ya’ll) who works as an occupational therapist in the San Antonio area. She attends Wayside Chapel Church and is passionate about disability ministry and advocacy. You can find her sipping on coffee, playing guitar, hiking/backpacking, and hanging out with friends over some good chips and queso. If you are in the area and seeking community feel free to reach out. Insta: @teara_byte  Email: tmkelly18@gmail.com

For Further Encouragement

Were you encouraged by this blog post? I would love to connect with you on our special Her Faith Thrives Newsletter which goes out every other month. In each newsletter, I share a short reflection about how I’m growing in my faith during this season of life. Plus, I’ll be sending you some fantastic resources to inspire and guide you on your own faith journey. When you subscribe, you will receive my all-time favorite tool for making your Daily Quiet Time truly meaningful. It’s called “From Routine to Reverence: 3 Simple Steps to a Deeper Daily Quiet Time.” I can’t wait to hear how it helps you deepen your time in God’s Word.