Find Your People
For most of my life, I didn’t believe I needed community. Honestly, I thought that relying on others meant that I was weak. I prided myself on being strong enough to handle my life on my own. I was convinced that needing people in my circle meant that I wasn’t capable. I didn’t realize just how deeply I was misunderstanding the way God intended for community to be. It wasn’t until this recent season of my life that my perspective shifted and my life changed. God used the people He placed around me to open up my eyes.
This season of my life has been confusing. It has stretched me in ways I didn’t know were possible. And at times, it was deeply painful. There were days when moving forward felt impossible. I didn’t have any clarity. And at times, the weight of everything just became unbearable. But in the midst of that, God brought people into my life, but not just any people. They were people who understood, who didn’t judge, who listened and prayed. People who reminded me of the truth when I couldn’t see it myself.
They prayed for me.
They prayed with me.
They held me up when I could barely lift my head.
They encouraged me when I had nothing left to give.
They became the hands and feet of Jesus in my darkest moments.
And very slowly, something began to happen so beautifully - my life began to transform.
Through my community, I found something that I did not know was missing. I not only discovered, but I experienced the kind of unified community the Bible talks about. Believers who join together in shared faith, who are anchored in love and committed to lifting one another up. I learned that strength and perseverance were not found in my isolation; it was found in connection. And that sometimes God uses community as a channel of His grace, wisdom, and comfort. My community has been one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given me, and I will never stop thanking Him for the way He used them to reach me. Because of them, I now understand that God never intended for us to walk through life alone.
And here is what I want you to know: you, too, need community.
Not because you are weak. Not because you aren’t handling life well. Not because you aren’t strong enough. But because God never intended for you to do this life alone. Somewhere out there, there is a group of people who will love you unconditionally. Who will support you through your many seasons. Who will pray for you and walk alongside you, exactly the way God intended. A group of people who will help you see Him more clearly. Who will call out the best in you when you can’t see it. A group of people who will hold you up on the days you can’t stand on your own.
If you haven’t found your people yet, don’t give up. Pray. Surrender. Seek. Open your heart. Step into spaces that may feel uncomfortable. Let God guide you towards the community that He has been preparing for you, long before you knew. Because once you find them - once you experience the beauty of being truly known, truly supported, truly loved, and truly seen - you’ll understand what I have come to understand:
When you’re surrounded by the community God intended for you, life begins to feel different. The weight of life doesn’t pierce or crush you the way it once did. Everything becomes lighter, more beautiful, and more meaningful.
So don’t give up. Find your people. When you begin to live the way God created us to live - together, connected and supported, your heart, your faith, and your perspective begin to not only shift, but settle into something lighter and more whole. Healing begins. Life transforms.
Return to His design, and allow it to transform everything.
Reflection:
What areas of your life are you trying to ‘do it all alone’?
Who has the Lord already placed in your path that you may be overlooking as potential community?
What would it look like for you to take one step toward deeper connection this week?
How has the Lord used others to encourage or strengthen you in you past seasons? What does this reveal to you about His heart for community?
