The Power of Community

The following blog is the final of a 10-part Series on “Moving from Hurried to Purposeful” from Darren Bosch of DeliberateU.

As a busy leader, are you feeling tired?  Has busyness got you running ragged these days? 

Yes, we are broken people living in a broken world. But there’s good news! There’s a God-designed vaccine that injects purposeful hope and practical help…an antidote for the busy Christian leader.

Effective community is an antidote for the stress of busyness, because:

1. It’s often the first thing that goes
2. It’s God’s sustainable design
3. It’s a lifeline that fuels

1. IT’S OFTEN THE FIRST THING THAT GOES

We buck up and buckle down.

When the pressure is on and we’re running hurried, community and self-care are often the first things that get dropped. So many of us do this when our backs are up against the wall, because:

• in “survival mode”, we focus on what is the most urgent
• we let go of what we sense is least important
• we drop what we think has the least impact at the moment

When dropped, we experience the pain. It’s telling. I don’t know a leader yet who doesn’t struggle with this. That’s why a peer community that is invested in supporting and staying close is pivotal to moving from hurried to purposeful.  

Authentic community reduces hurriedness because it provides the “oxygen” to move from:

• Pell-mell to Purposeful
• Frantic to Focussed
• Stressed to Steeped… in God’s design

2. IT’S GOD’S SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Made in God’s image, we are created for community. Like God with the Holy Trinity - and with His people - we too are created to thrive in rich community. 

Our brokenness post-Genesis 3 has made that more evident. Even a global pandemic has highlighted the need for community. Community is God’s design for a better way…supportive counsel and care. The Bible says, “in a multitude of counselors there is safety” three different times (Proverbs; 11:14, 15:22, and 24:6). 

Community is an antidote for busyness because…

• His design is not to do it alone…and God always knows best
• It helps us go the distance (Gal 6:2)
• Experiencing God’s design is life-giving (John 10:10)
• Encouragement + Tools + Accountability = Fruit!  (Prov 27:17)

Simply put, living in community is God's design for us. We aren’t designed to be lone-rangers. If we could do it all on our own, we would have done it already.

3. IT’S A LIFELINE THAT FUELS

Whether it’s business or family, life can be tough. An invested peer community provides the timely support we need to weather the storms, grow resilience, and deepen our relationship with Jesus. It’s life-giving. It’s fuel in the tank.

Community provides:

• Oxygen, clarity, and support
• Accelerated growth
• Fuel and focus for self and service opportunities  

Effective community gives us the refueling tools and refreshing insight - to refocus on what matters most. That is an antidote for running hurried!

Deliberate Application:

1. Let God Inform your Thinking:

• Review these Scriptural Reflections from Dr. Rob Reimer to see what God may have for you

2. Move from Hurried to Purposeful:

• Learn about the power of an effective peer community here. It could change your life…and those you serve and bless!