Peace & Love Corp.

R.E.A.L. Fellowship

Are we having real Fellowship?

One of the 5 purposes of a Christian's life is Fellowship.
However, how often do we truly fellowship?

Is having a drink at a coffee house, fellowship?
Is having lunch together, fellowship?

Though these are ways which allow us to connect with one another well,
we have to be aware that the biblical definition of fellowship differs quite a bit.

In Acts, we see the lifestyle of the early followers of Christ as being closely-knitted where they broke bread frequently.
There is something about the time spent together for those early Christians.

They grew stronger and deeper in Christ as they spend more time together.

On this note, I began to take a closer look at the type of activities we label as fellowship...and realise that more often than not, we may fall short in this area.


R - Readiness to share about life's happenings.

True fellowship always opens up one to another.
This first layer of Fellowship is whereby we spend time updating our lives, the interesting happenings of our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly, to one another. Perhaps over a bite or a drink too.
However, we must never stop at this level, as to do so would render the gathering nothing more than a social gathering.


E - Expressive about spiritual walk.

This aspect of Fellowship breaks the resistance to talk about the 'sensitive' topic of our private walk with our Lord.
More often than not, we may find this coupled with reluctance as we may either find it as something too intimate to share.
Or we may just be guilty for not walking right with God recently.
To be expressive about our spiritual walk therefore allows us to encourage and spur our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with how God is speaking and working in our lives.
Similarly, it serves to remind those who have wandered off, to return.


A - Acknowledge personal weaknesses.

I personally find this area important especially for a group which is readily willing to share deeply about the things of God and their journeys in Christ.
A constant sharing about the goodness of God is right and good, but bearing in mind that there will always be some of us who may be in the desert, we ought to have a conducive atmosphere for some of us who are finding hard to see God in their lives at the moment.
Besides, spiritual pride is easily fostered in a group which do not value the confessing of our weaknesses to one another.


L - Look to God.

The last aspect of true Fellowship is that we always look to God at the end of the day.
No matter how weak we may be, no matter how bad things may be, our ultimate focus should always be directed back to our Abba Father, the Maker of all things, to Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith and the Holy Spirit, who speaks to us continually in our hearts.
A session which lacks this aspect, seldom lifts a person spiritually.
And if the session is peppered with much complaints and grumbles, it will result in a group of Christians indulging in a very worldly time together.
Looking unto God and repenting, will therefore be an inevitable step to close that session.

posted by Si'er @ Thursday, August 25, 2005