Sometimes you can't make it on your own

“Sometimes you can’t make it on your own”

I don’t know what it is about Bono songs from U2 but they often connect with my soul. I think the guitar runs always help. They always build up to this awesome climax of lyrics and guitar. They are classic for sure.

I was listening to “Sometimes you can’t make it on your own” . I must it admit it seems a bit like a throwback from the 80s or would have been made a great song in the Breakfast Club movie. It just fits.

So if I just take the "title" it speaks to me at this junction of my journey. There are two extremely important aspects of being a Christ Follower. I was reading the book of Acts this morning about the early church and Jesus followers. They desired so deeply to know him and to be with one another. Over 2000 years and we should still be at that same place. We need both community with God and we need community with other followers of Jesus. Practically speaking so many people evaluate this in church attendance but it is so much more than that. Simply speaking it is having a living and growing and real relationship with our Lord on a daily basis and it is sharing in that relationship with others .. spouse, children, parents, friends, etc…

I think there is a danger in the church today where we assume both of these are met on Sunday mornings. We can connect with God for our one hour a week and we can talk with some of our friends and even do business with them if needed. But there has to be so much more.

I think there are so many people who are living their life by themselves and are lonely and feel disconnected. Here is where this song comes in or I should say the title. The entire song does not fit my theme here but the title does. We cannot make it on our own. We cannot handle the stresses, pressures, disappointments, heartbreaks, rejections, failures, etc…. by ourselves. We should have someone to share the ups and downs of our lives with.

I really believe that God created us for community both with Him and with other people.
This takes some effort and some risk. It takes some discipline to develop that time with the Savior each day. It takes us for sure letting go of our independency and moving towards a dependency on Jesus. It is that independency that sometimes makes us falsely believe that we can make it on our own.

I think it also takes effort and risk when we connect with others. With have been back in the states now for 6 months and I can tell you just because you go to a worship service does not mean you will connect with others in community. You often have to take that first step towards community. It may not come to you but you may need to pursue it. Find some people you can share your life with you. You can share your heart and life with. You and I need this.

I would also say that you most likely will have several “community” groups. You may have one with your family as you spend time in prayer, devotion and talking about spiritual things. You may have community with some men or women in a small group. You may have community with your house church or a small group within your church.

I don’t know exactly where I was headed with this when I started other than this simple thing and it came from U2. We cannot make it on our own! We need community. We need Jesus. We need others who also share that same bond with the Lord whom we can connect with.