Biblical Community - Self-reflection

Good morning, Five Minute Families! We hope your week was filled with sweet blessings of fellowship and kindness. We had a wonderful weekend here at Clear View Retreat with a group of volunteers coming to help us continue to get the facility able to be open in the winter time. Believe it or not, winter will be here before we know it. If you want more information about what we do here at Clear View Retreat, please check us out at clearviewretreat.org. Last week we discussed koinonia – for a group of believers, we use the term biblical community. Here on the Five Minute Family, we have often encouraged you to put away your devices and connect to your loved ones. However, putting down your phone will do little for your family and for your biblical community if you heart isn’t right with the Lord. Looking at someone else on their phone when you have put yours down and assuming they are sinning, selfish, distracted, or any of those descriptors, will do nothing for biblical community. The first listed need in Wagner’s list of biblical community characteristic is for an individual believer to ‘devote daily to a personal relationship with Jesus.’ John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” No matter where you go, some folks are having a rough go at it. Working folks are sick of the grind, stay-at-home parents are sick of the isolation and judgment, kids are tired of feeling like they can’t measure up to their parents’ or teachers’ or church leaders’ expectations. Someone listening here is dealing with mental health issues. Someone is being abused. Quite honestly, any relationship is only as healthy as the least healthy person in it. Turkle says in Reclaiming Conversation that “The case for conversation begins with the necessary conversations of solitude and self-reflection.” Self-reflection is key. Have you thought about how your personal relationship with Christ impacts your family and biblical com