S1 EP11 - Importance of Community
In this episode Carla shares her hiking fail - and how it highlighted our need for community.
Solo Struggles
Carla shares a personal hiking experience, highlighting the difficulties faced when tackling challenges alone.
Recognizes the motivational power of community in overcoming obstacles.
Biblical Emphasis on Community
Explores biblical passages emphasizing the importance of bearing each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2) and spurring one another toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).
Acknowledges that authentic community encourages, supports, and provides opportunities for growth.
Personal Journey to Community
Reflects on personal struggles with social anxiety and fear of judgment, hindering the pursuit of community.
Encourages listeners to overcome fear, prioritize relationships, and embrace the benefits of genuine community.
God's Design for Community
Stresses that community is embedded in human DNA, mirroring the divine community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Urges listeners to seek authentic connections with faith-filled individuals.
Call to Action
Challenges listeners to be brave, open up, and form authentic community despite potential vulnerability.
Reminds that the Holy Spirit is present in community, making the journey more impactful.
Affirming Truth - "I am better in community."
Seek authentic community, open yourself up to vulnerability, and experience the uplifting power of genuine connections. Remember, you are not designed to walk alone.
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TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Carla: Hey friends, welcome to Affirming Truths. I'm your friend and host, Carla Arges. This show is a safe place to share our struggles, grow in faith, and root our identity in Christ. My hope is that you will leave each episode feeling encouraged in your journey. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review.
[00:00:30] Carla: I am so glad you're here. Let's get started.
[00:00:39] Carla: Hey friends, it's Carla here. So I'm actually recording this podcast from a hotel room. I took a little mummy time away and overnight at a little ski community just north of where I live. Now, obviously it's not ski season, but the ski hills [00:01:00] are beautifully colored with autumn colors and it's just a wonderful time to get away.
[00:01:07] Carla: And while I was here, I thought I will hike the ski hill. Now this isn't no bunny hill. These are, these are like mountains. And I thought I would get a good hike on. I love hiking. And let's just say it did not go as planned. I struggled, forget the physicality part of it, but I struggled, um, staying motivated.
[00:01:33] Carla: I struggled doing the hard thing. And I thought to myself, what is different in this hike than other hikes that I do? Because I often go on hikes and do them much more successfully. And one of the things I realized was I was doing this hike alone. I don't normally hike alone. In fact, I don't think I've ever hiked alone.
[00:01:56] Carla: I'm usually in the company of my family or friends. [00:02:00] And there's something about being alone that made this hike more difficult. And it just showcased to me the importance of community. of authentic community, not just someone you say hi to on a regular basis or get coffee with every once in a while. I'm talking about community that you can do life with, that you can struggle with.
[00:02:30] Carla: You see, It's not that my other hikes have been easier per se, but there's something about the energy of other people struggling alongside you that's motivating. There's something about being in the presence of someone who's a little bit stronger than you, that can encourage you and lead the way.
[00:02:51] Carla: There's also something about Being in community with someone that you're stronger than, that you have the opportunity to pour into and [00:03:00] encourage, and in doing that, really uplift yourself. I didn't have community when I was doing this hike, and it was hard. It was steep. There was roots and rocks everywhere, muddy spots.
[00:03:20] Carla: I was climbing a mountain. And it was hard and I didn't have the support that I needed mentally, emotionally, even physically to get through it. And I think that often happens with us in life. In fact, not too long ago, the Lord really convicted me of the fact that I was doing life alone. Yes, I have my husband who's an incredible support, but God means for us to have community, not just their spouse.
[00:03:56] Carla: God intends for us to have community of other faith filled [00:04:00] women that we can do life with. And I didn't have that. You know, in Galatians 6 2 we're called to bear each other's burdens. How can you bear each other's burdens? If you're not together with people in Hebrews 10 24, it says, and let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
[00:04:26] Carla: How can you encourage and cheerlead and motivate and, and, and do all of that with other people. When you're not in community, community encourages, it supports, it provides opportunity to lead and to be led. That's so important. Look at Paul's community. He had Barnabas to encourage him, but he had Timothy to pour into.
[00:04:54] Carla: Community is so important. And it can be so hard to commit [00:05:00] to community. If you're anything like me, I'm an introvert. I have social anxiety. And to be honest, the company of women intimidates me. It intimidates me. And so for the longest time, I let that intimidation factor get in the way. Of community. If I'm honest with myself, I was intimidated because I was scared.
[00:05:27] Carla: You know, doesn't things always come down to fear of some sort? It was fear of being judged, fear of being rejected, fear of not being accepted. Those were hard fears, especially for me in the Christian community. When you hear my story and you hear about my past, I was afraid of being found out, you know, not a good enough Christian, which is so silly.
[00:05:53] Carla: God went to the cross for me as much as he did anyone else, but women [00:06:00] scared me and God really convicted me of that. And he just illustrated in such a beautiful way, the lesson again on my hike of why community matters. And so I've taken some steps to try to build community. I've invited some women into my home to meet regularly, to have heart conversations with and pour into each other, and to do a Bible study regularly with each other so we can sharpen each other.
[00:06:32] Carla: Now, who you have in your community matters. And I'll do a whole other episode on that, because there's so much wisdom we can glean from the Proverbs on that. But first and foremost, we need that community. And I'm wondering if you feel like you're going through life alone. That the struggles that you have, that you're doing them on your own.
[00:06:58] Carla: That's not how God intended. [00:07:00] It's in our D n A to have community. I mean, the Godhead itself is a community, a father, son, and Holy Spirit. The divinity is community, and we are made in his image. That means we're made for community. It's in our D n A. God saw Adam and saw it wasn't good that he was alone. So he created Eve.
[00:07:26] Carla: He creates community. We're encouraged to meet with each other. We're encouraged to cheer each other on. We're encouraged to hold each other to a standard of righteousness and love, to challenge each other. To grow in holiness and be more like God to be there when we fall community is so important. I didn't make it up the hill today.
[00:07:58] Carla: I really believe if I was with [00:08:00] someone else, I would have done it. I would have shared in my struggle. They would have bore my burden with me. They would have encouraged me. They would have made it fun. Yes, Christian community can be fun. And I think even if it would have taken some time, I would have made it to the summit.
[00:08:25] Carla: I didn't on my own today. And what an illustration of how much further we can go in our life, in our faith walk, how much further we can go in making impact by walking in our calling when we don't walk alone, when we don't walk alone. I want to encourage you today. To do the brave step of forming community.
[00:08:54] Carla: If you don't already have it. And I know it's hard. It means opening up and being [00:09:00] vulnerable. It means shifting priorities to make time. to build these relationships. It means putting yourself out there with the chance of being rejected. That's scary stuff, but can I tell you, it's scary being alone too, especially when we weren't designed for it.
[00:09:33] Carla: My soul has been crying out for community. To be around faith filled women, and I silenced my soul for so long because of my fear, but can I tell you that as I've been opening myself up and being vulnerable and inviting women into my space, God has been so good. He's been so kind and [00:10:00] gentle with me, not because all the relationships and introductions have gone smoothly.
[00:10:06] Carla: They haven't. That's the reality of bringing different personalities together. Some will click, some won't, but God's still been good in it. And he has been blessing my efforts to do what he's asking me to do. And friend, he's asking you to be in community. You know, it says where two or more gather, the Holy Spirit is there.
[00:10:33] Carla: How powerful is that? That we get more of the Spirit when we're in community than when we're on our own. That right there alone is a reason to get into community. That right there alone is. So I want to encourage you. Pray about it. Ask God where he's leading you and who he's leading you to [00:11:00] and take that bold step to start forming authentic relationships, real community.
[00:11:10] Carla: Your affirming truth for today is, I am better in community. And we look at Acts 2 42, two are better than one because they have good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Let's lift each other up.
[00:11:39] Carla: Let's press into community. Let's encourage one another and let's bear each other's burdens. I'll talk to you next time, friends.
[00:11:55] Carla: Thanks for joining me today. I hope we're already friends on social media, but if [00:12:00] we're not, come find me on Instagram at Carla Arges or at Affirming Truth. Can't wait to see you back here next week. Bye, friends.