growing in Christ in a time of isolation: support

[musings from the manse]

Continuing to reflect upon what does it mean to grow in Christ by bearing fruit in our lives as followers.

The first aid to growing good fruit is support. And by this I don’t mean we need to construct a wooden frame to hold us up, but from my experience sometimes that might have been a useful thing to have!

No, by support I mean that we cannot survive in the Christian life on our own. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus did not call just one disciple, he called twelve, and then that grew. The early church were a group of people who encouraged and challenged one another in their ongoing discipleship.

Not even Paul, who seems to have been a lone wolf, at times isolated himself from others. He made friends wherever he went and usually had a companion who travelled with him.

Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “encourage one another and build each other up” remind us that we need to support one another.

None of my Christian life, since I first wandered into a saving friendship with Jesus, has been done alone. I needed the support of every one of those who have walked alongside me. They have helped me by encouraging good fruit to grow and helping me identify what needed pruning. They did not grow fruit for me but supported me in my growing of fruit in my life.

I think, especially in this time of lockdown, that we are realising that we need each other more than ever. We need that mutual encouragement that comes from being part of the body of Christ, even through we are dispersed at the moment. So, let us keep on building each other up and supporting one another to grow in Christ.

Because we all need the support of others to follow Jesus the best we can, so we see good fruit produced.

Yours in Christ

Andy Mills