Home Small Group Leaders Articles for Small Group Leaders 3 Huge Ways I Whiffed on the Pandemic

3 Huge Ways I Whiffed on the Pandemic

I’m comfortable with community-building digitally. I’m happy to video chat, play games online, and due to the fact that I’ve always been a big personal space, non-hugger, I can thrive while social distancing. So why in the world didn’t I spend time building relationships and loving on people who weren’t cool with all that stuff? Good question! I was too comfortable in my own little office with my own private bathroom (that even has a bidet!). I was like Peter who was willing to die for Christ in the garden, but denied him and lurked in the shadows when things got political. I am an ambassador for the Kingdom of God, and I wound up buying a couch for my home office to make it even more comfortable. I whiffed.

Seizing The Next Opportunity

But, good news, everyone! The pandemic isn’t over! Wait, that came out wrong. What I mean to say is that I haven’t completely missed the opportunity. True, I’m not buying low and selling high, more like I’m hoping to buy high and sell slightly higher, but hopefully there is a little nugget of gold that can show through by the end of this trial.

The first thing I need to know is to acknowledge that I still have work to do on myself, and to acknowledge that I am not going to fix myself. God uses others to be used by the Holy Spirit. Iron sharpens iron. Have you ever tried to sharpen a knife by using that same knife? That sounds like a recipe for needing to buy a new knife (or finger).

Connecting with a community that will keep me accountable will not only help keep me from overestimating my own abilities and letting stress and anxiety force me to buy multipacks of Pepto Bismol, but community will also help prevent division. Here’s the thing about sin; it’s terrible. But the reason that sin is such an infectious, wretched mess is because it is divisive. All sin is divisive. You genuinely don’t have to be in person to have community, but you really do have to be intentional. All healthy community takes work. Just like marriage, or family.

Christ came, died and rose again to offer us the Gospel so that all things could be united under God. I’ve been full of cracks and I have allowed the world to wedge into those cracks. Division is antithetical to the Gospel. Yes, sin is sin and we can’t overlook it for the sake of community, in the same way that “staying together for the sake of the kids” isn’t how you make a healthy marriage. I have to work to build deep and meaningful community with people who frustrate and annoy me. And to be honest, it is a lot harder than just doing my own thing. But here’s the thing…every single Fruit of the Spirit requires community. I can’t exercise patience without someone to be patient with. Even joy is the kind of joy found in Philippians and in humbly serving one another. I can’t be a Christian by myself.

I am determined to seize the next opportunity. While the world continues to argue about masks and vaccines, I will do whatever I can to show them the Kingdom of God. Honestly, I might even floss sometimes. Maybe it will make my dentist’s day just a little bit brighter.

This article originally appeared here.