Surviving and Thriving

<p>The Croods, an animated caveman family, believe that &ldquo;the only way to survive is if the pack [their small family] stays together.&rdquo; They are afraid of the world and others, so when looking for a safe place to live they&rsquo;re filled with fear after discovering a strange family already in the area they&rsquo;ve chosen. But they soon learn to embrace the differences of their new neighbors, draw strength from them, and survive together. They find that they actually enjoy them and that they <em>do</em> need others to live life fully.</p> <p>It can be risky to be in relationship&mdash;people can and do hurt us. Yet it&rsquo;s for good reason God put His people together in a body, the church. In fellowship with others we grow to maturity (Ephesians 4:13). We learn to depend on Him to help us be &ldquo;humble and gentle&rdquo; and &ldquo;patient&rdquo; (v. 2). We help each other by building each other up &ldquo;in love&rdquo; (v. 16). When we gather together, we use our gifts and learn from others who use theirs, which in turn equips us in our walk with God and service for Him.</p> <p>Look for your place among God&rsquo;s people if you haven&rsquo;t found it yet as He leads you. You&rsquo;ll do more than survive; in shared love you&rsquo;ll bring honor to God and grow to be more like Jesus. And may we all depend on Him as we walk through a growing relationship with Jesus and others.</p>