My Thursday Thoughts | The Value of Belonging to a Small Group

There’s been a ton of commotion and chatter surrounding the recent reunion of the cast of the iconic television show “Friends.” Admittedly, Sweet T and I are fans of the show although we came to the party a little late. Seeing the ensemble of kindred spirits do life together not only offers encouragement but rewards viewers with ample moments of joy and plenty of laughs. We have not had the opportunity to watch the “Reunion” and honestly, I’m not clear about when it’s on or of it’s already been on. But that’s fodder for a future post…

But “Friends” isn’t a “Christian” show Devo Guy!  PAY ATTENTION! Don’t get lost in the weeds.

T and I are part of a small group of friends that met through our old church specifically our church worship team. While gathering together isn’t always easy, our plan is to meet monthly. Our respective schedules and commitments make it virtually impossible to meet more frequently even though we might like to spend time together more often. For us it’s not a matter of quantity, but quality.

We are church friends although we no longer all attend the same church. We are in or near the same life stages. All of our group have grown kids except for me and Sweet T. Having our own children is simply not something the Lord blessed us with but that’s a discussion for another blogpost some other time. We have aging parents. Some of us have lost parents.

Small Group:
A community of 4 to 12 Jesus followers doing life together and seeking to grow deeper in their relationship with one another and with Jesus.

We share things in common and we also maintain our own views on different things, including politics. Some of us are more conservative while others in our group are more liberal. It doesn’t matter. We love each other. At the end of the day, we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus encouraging, laughing, and enjoying walking through life together. And we are there for each other during the hard times.

Gaining different perspectives on things you are going through is definitely a benefit of belonging to a small group. You can share a problem or issue with your friends who in turn ask questions and then offer suggestions based on their own life experience. Wisdom is a value belonging to a small group offers to combat the daily challenges we face individually.

Supporting one another through prayer is another fabulous benefit that being part of a small group brings to the table. We share each other’s burdens and take them to the Lord in prayer. Through prayer, we invest in our collective spiritual growth as we stand in the gap for each other while fighting the good fight.

In our small group we laugh a lot. Laughter is the best medicine after all! Rejoicing in the humorous incidents we often experience throughout our daily lives often results in raucous laughter. Life is hard and life is funny. It’s vital that we remember to not take every moment so seriously and make ample room for the joy of laughter.

We love one another. It’s a big world and life’s highway is filled with twists and turns. Some things you see coming. Others throw you an unexpected curveball. Perhaps the greatest value belonging to a small group offers is love. You know that no matter what, you have a small band of brothers and sisters who love you. That’s worth immeasurably more than you could ever imagine.

So my encouragement to you my dear reader is to find a small group of people who will do life with you. I believe it’s an investment that reaps rewards the more you sow into it. Over time, you will be grateful that you’re not going it alone. We all can use a friend.

Do you belong to a small group? If so, what are some benefits you get from being in a small group?

May life continue to be a great adventure and may the Lord bless you and keep you.

Humbly,

The Devotional Guy™

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