Here’s a story with which you may be familiar.
Boy meets girl. They fall in love. They have a big wedding, in which all their friends and loved ones show up to celebrate their big day.
And then, following that wedding, those same friends and loved ones stop hearing from the newlywed couple. The marriage relationship has become so prioritized that their other friendships and relationships nearly dissolve altogether.
Sound familiar?
As a professional counselor, author and relationship expert, I wonder if our Christian culture at large tends to get fixated on romantic relationships, without remembering the other important relationships that God calls us into.
Somehow, we’ve fallen prey to the dangerous mindset of seeing marriage as the only relationship that is supposed to reflect the Body of Christ.
As important as marriage is within the Church, I can’t help but wonder: what about the other significant relationships God calls us into? What about our relationships with other believers that God has placed into our lives? What about mentorship, discipleship and friendship? What about community?
Here are some reasons community might have more benefits than we think it does:
1. Community Challenges You to be More Like Jesus. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Nothing makes you more like Jesus than the daily grind of interactions with others. We often think about marriage when it comes to this refining process, but the truth is God also gives us community as a way to become more like Him.
God’s Word reminds us that we are put in relationships in order to encourage one another in our pursuit of God and His Kingdom. It’s within the context of community that we are given the opportunity to be refined as followers of Christ.
2. Community Meets Practical Needs. (Acts 2:42-47)
Just like in the early Church, community is a place where we come to get our physical needs met. We need to learn to let down our walls and ask for help from our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Whether we need someone to pick up medicine for us when we’re sick, cook us a meal at the end of a long week or help us carry a financial burden, the Body of Christ was made to support and love one another in practical ways. We can learn a lot about love within the exchange of practical needs.
3. Community Carries You Emotionally. (Galatians 6:2)
Just as important as physical needs are the emotional needs we carry through life. We are given the the responsibility to support each other in hard times and to carry one another’s burdens. As much as we need to be available for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we also need to have the courage to ask them to come alongside of us when we’re the ones in need of support, prayer or a shoulder to cry on.
It’s important to learn to be real with one another, because that’s what true community is all about.
4. Community Reveals Your Gifts and Talents. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Two are better than one, because there is double the strength, double the stamina and double the talents.
Within the context of community we’re given the opportunity to discover our gifts and our talents and then use them to bless others. We’re each given a very specific role in the Body of Christ, and it is within these relationships that our roles can be used to glorify God to the fullest. We’re part of something really special (1 Corinthians 12:27).
5. Community Opens Your Eyes to the Needs of Others. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
Within community, we are encouraged to look around at the needs of those around us. We’re called to strengthen those who are weak and to and encourage those who are down and out. Community calls us out of our self-centeredness and self-absorption by giving us the responsibility to look outward.
6. Community Can Improve Your Mental Health. (Philippians 4:6-7)
We all know that community helps us emotionally, but there’s another layer to it—being connected to others can actually improve our mental health. Studies show that isolation is a huge factor in anxiety and depression, but when we’re in community, we experience a sense of peace and security that helps quiet those fears. When we share our burdens, our minds are unburdened as well. This is where God’s design shines—He created us for connection, and in community, we can experience His peace that surpasses understanding in tangible, healing ways.
7. Community Helps You Live Longer. (Proverbs 3:1-2)
This one might come as a surprise, but there’s actual science behind it—people who are part of strong, healthy communities live longer and have better overall health. Isolation is not only bad for your mental health but your physical health as well. When you’re connected to others, you have people checking in on you, encouraging healthy habits, and providing emotional support, which directly impacts your well-being. God designed us to live in relationship, and it turns out that this spiritual principle also has a profound impact on our physical lives. Living in community doesn’t just make life richer—it literally extends it.
8. Community Offers Opportunities for Confession, Which Leads to Healing. (James 5:16)
There’s power in confession. It gives us the chance to bring to light the things that have been holding us back in darkness. Within community, we’re given the opportunity to get real with one another, to confess our sins, and to break free from the things that are holding us back from living God’s best life. True community requires transparency, authenticity, and confession.
9. Community Connects You to New Resources. (Acts 2:42-47)
We often don’t realize the resources that are available to us until we’re connected with others. Being in community isn’t just about having people to pray for you or share life with—sometimes, it’s where doors open that you didn’t even know existed. It might be a job opportunity that comes through a friend’s connection, or a mentor who shows up just when you need guidance in a particular area of your life. God uses community not only to meet our spiritual and emotional needs but also to connect us to practical resources that can help us in ways we never expected.
10. Community Breaks Down Barriers. (Galatians 3:28)
One of the most beautiful things about community is how it breaks down the walls that divide us. In a world that’s often focused on what makes us different, community shows us how much we actually have in common. Whether it’s social, racial, or economic barriers, when we live in true, Christ-centered community, those differences become secondary. We see each other first as brothers and sisters in Christ, and that unity dissolves the walls that the world tries to build. It’s in community that we learn to live out the truth that in Christ, there is no division—just one Body, working together for His glory.
Every day we are called to become more like Jesus, and community is one of the ways that we are invited to do so. So, what does that look like in your life?
