I was asked to write an article about community for the online magazine, As For Me And My House … I wanted to share the published issue with all of you.
As a commercial pilot, owning my own business for corporate executives, I was privileged to fly all across America and the Bahamas. My exposure to various cultures and diverse people has given me a unique perspective on life.
It didn’t take long to recognize; no matter where I landed, I found a common denominator—people. People of different ages, nationalities, and backgrounds are everywhere—forming community.
My many years flying, and working with individuals who desire to make their lives impact and influence the world for good, caused me to realize that not all communities are created equal. Some are flourishing while others are not. This fact challenged me to find answers—there had to be an equalizer.
After much study, I found it—Faith. Faith is the foundation that strong communities are built upon. Let me elaborate…
Faith in a loving God who has a plan and purpose for everything He has created—including humanity. You are not an accident or an orphan. Anyone who places their faith in Jesus belongs to the family of God. In this family we learn how to live within community—God’s way.
By community, I am referencing your family, workplace, churches, neighborhoods, basically—the boundaries of your everyday life. It is in these places where you have the opportunity to influence and impact lives with the culture of heaven. Now that’s living in a community that flourishes.
I began to study what are common limiting factors keeping people from attaining the greatness they were created for—hence limiting the effectiveness of community.
“Community is only as strong and influential as the people within it.”
I discovered three foundational areas—identity, authority, and purpose. Until we allow God to define who we are, embrace the authority He has bestowed upon us, and recognize we have a God-assignment to fulfill; the strength of our communities will always be derailed by the cultural norms of society.
Your perceptions about yourself, your value, and your abilities, unconsciously influence the lens through which you view life—it shapes your community.
So how do we stand firm and create community that is unified despite our differences? We learn to uncover the struggles that are holding us back and make the necessary shifts in our thinking to make room to implement God’s strategies for victory. Keeping in mind, we have an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy all that is good—we must fight back with a strategic plan.
“Strong communities are created when people live by faith in God who loves all humanity.” Believing He has a plan and purpose to impact and influence the earth with His culture is powerful.
This isn’t as difficult as some may have you believe. Here are seven proven strategies, if applied to your everyday life, will help create a vibrant community. One in which its inhabitants live in their created greatness.
1. Drink from the Well – Society has molded our identity and self-worth around the many roles we play, the accomplishments we achieve, and the associations we have. The well of living water that Jesus offers is pure. It nourishes us with the truth—we are valuable because God says so.
2. Live to Love – Authentic love comes from God alone; it is pure, honest, and unconditional.
3. Who Told You That? – In the world today, unlike any other time in history, society is filled with noise. Deciphering which voices warrant our attention plays a key role in taking control of our everyday life.
4. Forgiveness Is the Way Forward – Forgiveness has everything to do with trusting God. In rendering forgiveness, we fight on God’s playing field, not the turf of the evil one.
5. It’s a New Day – Navigating the changing seasons of our lives can be difficult, this occurs when we try to enter into the new while holding onto the old. The future is filled with new opportunities. Releasing what has been— for what can be.
6. Rest Is a Weapon – In the community of faith, rest is a strategy for victory. It’s wrapped in peace and an assurance that God always has a plan—He doesn’t need our help, but rather our cooperation.
7. Dream beyond Limits – Finding the courage and taking the risk to dream God-sized dreams. This happens when we surrender control of our life to Him.
Community is God’s idea—before the foundations of the world He lived in community with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. After He created mankind, He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”
Imagine a life where community is inundated with people who live confidently in their God-given identity, live to love, dispel the lies of the enemy with truth, forgive quickly, embrace each new day with excitement, rest in the trust of a loving God, and dream without limits. Our families, workplaces, neighborhoods, churches, and the world around us would be unstoppable.
You and I have a mandate from God to create such a community.
Overcome your struggles, undertake the shift, and unleash the strategies in your life, so you can impact and influence the communities you have been assigned to. Be strategic and outsmart the enemy.
Sharing is caring…share this article with those who are in community with you, and let them know how appreciated and loved they are.
You are irreplaceable, God loves you and I love you,
-Lucy Ann
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