We Were Created for Relationships
As I write, I’m sitting in São José Dos Campos Brazil, our team has just returned to the USA. (I’ve stayed for a few days of meeting with leaders from several nations.) We had the privilege of serving local churches in the Nordeste (Northeast) area of Brazil. It was beautiful to see the team of twelve working together, and the variety of gifts in operation to be a blessing. I’m amazed at the wisdom and goodness of God.
My friend Carlito Paes often says something that I love: “Nobody does anything great alone.”
The longer I live and the longer I lead, the more I realize just how true that is.
We weren't created to do life alone. We were made for relationships, for friendship, for family, and for walking together in the purposes of God.
Yet we live in a world that celebrates independence.
In Genesis 2:18, God says, "It is not good that the man should be alone."
Think about that. Adam was living in a perfect environment, enjoying fellowship with God, and yet God said something was missing.
Of course, this passage speaks specifically about marriage, but it also tells us something about how God made us. We were created for relationships. We need one another.
Needing people isn't a weakness. It's part of God's design.
We Were Saved Into a Family
One of the beautiful things about the gospel is that Jesus didn't just save us as individuals. He brought us into a family.
Ephesians 2:19 says we are "members of the household of God."
I love that picture. The church isn't simply a place we attend on Sundays. It's a family we belong to.
And like any family, we're all different. We have different personalities, backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses. But through Jesus, we've been brought together by grace.
Paul describes the church in 1 Corinthians 12 as a body with many members. Every part matters, and every part needs the others.
God has graciously given gifts to all of us. The church was never meant to revolve around a few gifted leaders. God has given His Spirit to His people, and every person has a part to play.
We are better together, not because we're all the same, but because God has made us different and brought us together.
What I've Learned at Lifehouse
When I look back over the years since planting Lifehouse Church, one of the things that stands out most isn't a particular Sunday service, building, or event. It's the people.
There have been so many people who have become part of God’s story here. People who prayed with us, believed God with us, opened their homes, served faithfully, and stood with us through both wonderful and difficult seasons.
And the truth is, Lifehouse wouldn't be what it is today without them.
I think about the people who have quietly served week after week, often without anyone noticing. I think about the families who have opened their homes for Lifegroups, the friendships that have formed around dinner tables, and the people who have walked alongside one another through some of life's hardest moments.
I also think about the way God has allowed us to impact our city and beyond…serving schools, welcoming people from different nations through ESL, and now a medical clinic caring for people in our community.
None of that happens because of one person or one gifted leader. It happens when ordinary people, filled with the Holy Spirit, offer what they have to God and serve together.
One of the greatest joys of pastoring Lifehouse has been watching people who initially came as a guest discover that they've found a family.
That's one of the beautiful things about the church. We don't simply work together. We belong to one another.
Relationships Are Where Grace Gets Worked Out
Now, relationships aren't always easy, are they?
People disappoint us. We misunderstand each other. Sometimes we hurt one another.
But I've come to realize that relationships are one of the primary ways God grows us.
It's easy to talk about forgiveness until you have to extend it to someone. It's easy to talk about patience until someone tests yours!
The New Testament is full of instructions to love one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, and carry one another's burdens.
We need one another.
The church isn't a community of perfect people. It's a community of people who have received the grace of Jesus and are learning to live lives shaped and transformed by that same grace.
And that's a beautiful thing.
Make Room for People
One of the challenges of our time is that we can be more connected than ever and yet feel increasingly alone.
We have plenty of ways to communicate, but meaningful relationships still require something that can't be replaced by technology: time together.
Sharing meals. Having conversations. Praying for one another. Showing up when life gets difficult. Celebrating the good things God is doing.
Sometimes it's as simple as inviting someone to sit at your table.
Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
What a witness the church can be in a lonely and divided world! A place where people are known, loved, welcomed, and encouraged to grow.
So let me encourage you: Don't try to do life alone. Invest in friendships. Get involved in the lives of others. Make room for people, even when life is busy.
I think my friend Carlito has it right.
“Nobody does anything great alone.”
God made us for relationships, Jesus brought us into His family, and the Holy Spirit has equipped us to serve together.
And I believe some of the greatest things God has for us are still ahead.
Let’s Go!
— John Privett
