One of my favorite aspects of Christ-centered community is the chance to hear other people's stories of God at work in their lives.
I still remember Grad Night two years ago--even though I had attended every Grad Night, this one was special. That time Junior Year, I had made some difficult decisions to obey God and was questioning if it was worth it all. I went into the evening not expecting much, but when I sat through hours of graduates boasting about how God has been at work in the midst of all they went through, I couldn't help but agree that God was not only SO EVIDENTLY working in people's lives, but also how much it was WORTH IT to keep following Jesus.
Even though I have a hard time getting in touch with my emotions, when the testimonies ended and I walked up to the graduates one-by-one to thank them for sharing their story, I ended up BURSTING into tears. I felt silly bawling in front of them, but I just couldn't believe I had been doubting the worthiness of living this life for Christ. Within a matter of hours, God had used a series of other people's stories to spur me on and remind me to hold onto His promises.
God thank you that you did not intend for us to live alone, but to live in community. Thank you for the people around me who have reminded me to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for You who promised is faithful. May you use me to spur others toward love and good deeds, just as others have encouraged me (Hebrews 10:23-25).
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