Be the Community
Community has been the theme since the summer, as I laid my knees on the ground to connect with God, asking for a husband.In 2026, asking God for a husband is not uncommon, but I seemed to be getting the same answer: Be in community. I wasn't getting a name, a face, not even a finger.
Since then, God has been changing my heart in ways that I never thought my heart could change.
See, when the church talks about community, we think of community as these lifelong friendships or a specific group catered to our lives. What God has been revealing to me is that the 30 minutes you spent on the phone talking about who He is, THAT is community.Spending 10 minutes after church listening to a sister or brother talk about their weekend, THAT is community.Serving alongside other churchgoers for an hour and a half, THAT is community.
Community is you and how you represent God among others, not how others include you.
When God said, "Be in community," He meant, "I need your heart to represent Me around other believers." Here is the thing: I have experienced deep spiritual hurt, been abused by spiritual authority, and been betrayed by close church members, so my heart was definitely cut off. But for the past few months, God has been revealing to me that to love others is to forgive. It's to let go of offense. It's to smile in the midst of being talked about behind your back. It's to protect your boundaries and offer peace. So, I get it. Podcasts, church leaders, and the Body of Christ have, in a way, been yelling at us to be in community.
I agree with that statement. However, that starts with you. How do you show up for Christ? Are you developing the fruit of the Spirit? Are you being led by the Holy Spirit? Are you learning to depend on Him?Not everyone in the church is for you, and not everyone in the church sees God the way you do, and that's okay. God has to be able to trust you with His patients, because that's what we are. We are patients in the Kingdom.We have all been hurt, abused, misused, taken advantage of, and all the things. But how can two people who don't represent God well in the church represent God well in the world to the masses?It can no longer be about performance, logos, or the statement, "I go to church every Sunday."
There is a command that Jesus gave in John 13:34: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." For a long time, that verse meant crossing personal boundaries, overserving in the church, performing so you could be validated, overgiving to the people you love most, and being around people who don't think or act like you because you're supposed to love everybody. It meant being obedient and not asking questions when theology seemed off. It meant laughing in each other's faces but then talking behind each other's backs because you didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
God is giving me the chance to know what this command truly means for my life.
So, go out there and be the community.
And if you need guidance, rely on the Word and the Holy Spirit to reveal the parts of you that need to be transformed or renewed so that you can withstand the experiences that come with being the community.