How wretched, to be a cultural Christian, who considers success what God sees as slavery, who gains the world but forfeits the life of Christ within their soul (Mt. 16: 24-26). The spirit of independence is real, active, and a prevalent temptation that each of us faces. This is a spirit that believers should resist; nevertheless, we often celebrate, honor, and protect it. Don't misunderstand me--I am thankful for the liberties we have in America. However, independence, which is the antithesis of freedom in Christ, harms the Christian, hindering one's walk with God. Independence can shackle us to slavery because it often empowers us to value our strength, while forfeiting God's power. We may gain the riches of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" but we will void ourselves of peace, righteousness, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17)
l am convinced that the spirit of independence, which America values so deeply, has infiltrated the church. This is not a harsh indictment, its a personal reflection, an admission that I must raise my hand and acknowledge that I have valued independence as a means to success, without realizing that it has distanced me from God.
In 2016, I experienced communion with God. Suddenly, I realized what it means to be a disciple: to deny my independence daily and to depend on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Over time, this simple revelation radically transformed my life. The strength of my own efforts began to seem so futile in comparison to the power I experienced as I depended on God.
"For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ..If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body." - 1 Cor. 12:14, 19-20 NIV
God taught me to depend on Him in 2016; in 2023, He taught me to depend on fellowship with the saints. While our trust is to be completely in God, God also calls us to be dependent on each other, functioning as a body, not as individual members.
Daily meeting with brothers and sisters in Christ for extended times of worship, prayer, and living in the Word was completely foreign to me. Two hours of church once a week was what it meant to be a Christian, right? And, maybe, if I were really pursuing Jesus, a meeting with a mentor once a week would be super beneficial as well. But, daily, again and again? I would not have even given that a thought. If I did, I would have considered it impractical and not possible considering the demands of life. Oh, how wrong I was! One day, as I was reading in Hebrews, a passage jumped off the page and landed in my heart.
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today; so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."- Hebrews 3:13 NIV
Flabbergasted, I thought to myself, I finally get it! I had wrestled with questions like, "Why am I, and my friends, not experiencing the freedom the Bible promises"? Then, while reading this passage, Jesus spoke to me, saying, "It is because you don't meet daily. When you live independently from each other, both you and they cannot overcome sin's deceitfulness."
This propelled me to yoke myself to other believers, to live in the vulnerability of my weaknesses, to admit that I am a single member who is desperate to be a part of a body. In fact, I need the body to help me walk with my Lord. While our eternal salvation is not dependent upon other believers, our successes in fulfilling God's purposes are!
Today, when someone asks if I would disciple them, I answer, "I would love to, but we will meet daily, not weekly, at 5:00 A.M., for a minimum of ten straight days." You can imagine some of the looks I receive in return. However, many accept the commitment. Ironically, God was discipling me more than I was discipling them. Usually 10 days became 20 days, and suddenly, 20 days became a lifestyle. People who were once friends and acquaintances became brothers and sisters. I realized I needed them, and they needed me.
Sin started to decrease in my life in a way I had never experienced. In these early-morning groups, testimonies of flourishing with God grew exponentially What started out as a sacrifice-Eve o'clock mornings of fellowship--became the greatest blessing of my life! It can become yours as well.
Two hours once a week in a pew, a weekly discipleship meeting, or a daily hour of individual study are all good, but these will never disciple us into the fullness God intends for us. Each of these activities will only take us so far and then we will hit a plateau. God created us for each other. We need each other--not only in our moments of adversity, but also in everything. If we are to become the beloved of the Lord, we need to intentionally walk with the beloved of the Lord, the saints.
God has an invitation for you, an invitation to sacrifice time daily, not just weekly, for fellowship with the saints. Pursuing Jesus together, with passion, every single day is not a difficult task, but it is a sacrificial one. It is time we return to biblical Christianity, living the life to which God commissions us, embracing the means to seeing the gospel go forth! It is time we embrace an Acts 2 lifestyle, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46-47).
Who in your life has God given you as a friend in Jesus? What would it be like to make a commitment to pursue Jesus every single day together? Imagine the power of walking life with another who willingly sacrifices time daily to seek Christ, while encouraging and praying for each other. I challenge you to start now and see what happens! If convinced, do not wait another day. Invite your friends to start meeting with you tomorrow. Who knows, they may be the missing pieces needed for you to flourish with the Father more fully!
