Genesis 2: 18, Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11, Galatians 6: 2, Colossians 3: 13, 1 Thessalonians 5: 11, Hebrews 10: 24, James 5: 16, John 13: 34-35

Matt Summerfield

Have you ever found yourself in Church singing a song to God with a lyric like "You're all I need" or "You're everything!"?

I understand the heart behind those lines, but I have to say that I think that the good Lord would disagree. Now before you condemn me as a heretic come with me for a moment to Genesis 2.

God has just created an amazing world and it is GOOD. He creates Adam. God and Adam have a special relationship - sharing together in the cool of the day. But amidst all this 'good' stuff we discover something that for the first time is not good. God says "It's not good for man to be alone".

Now wait a second! Adam isn't alone. He's got God. What more does he need? Surely God is everything he needs? And yet God seems to disagree. God knows that as well as Adam needing a relationship with God, Adam also needs a relationship with people like him.

So God creates Eve to be a helper for Adam - someone who comes alongside Adam to help him become all that God created him to be. And of course, it's Adam's responsibility to do the same for Eve - to help her reach her full God-given potential.

We were created for community. We need God - but we need each other too. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11 reminds us that:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no-one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?"

There's no escaping this fact. We all need - as the words of that famous song remind us - "somebody to lean on".

The New Testament is full of encouragements for us in terms of how we should treat each other. There's a great study here for anyone who wants to take the time to explore the 'one anothers' of the Bible. Here are just five examples that challenge us about the kind of community that God wants us to have.

• Galatians 6: 2 reminds us that we need to support one another. God doesn't want us to walk around ignoring the needs of other people. To lean on each other means to support one another and carry each others burdens.
• Colossians 3: 13 reminds us that we need to forgive one another. There's no way that you'll go through life without someone upsetting you. Forgiveness is the most vital ingredient for a successful relationship. To lean on each other means to forgive one another.
• 1 Thessalonians 5: 11 reminds us that we need to encourage one another. We all need people around us who tell us that we've done well and thank us for our efforts. To lean on each other means to sincerely and regularly encourage one another.
• Hebrews 10: 24 reminds us that we need to inspire one another. We need to cheer each other on, inspiring each other to keep on, keeping on towards love and good deeds. To lean on each other means to inspire each other to persevere.
• James 5: 16 reminds us that we need to confess our sins to each other. We need people around us who will hold us accountable for living God's best life. To lean on each other means we look out for each other in this way.
• And the crème de la crème. We need to love each other. Jesus issued this challenge in John 13: 34-35. It's love that binds all this stuff together. A sacrificial, servant-hearted life which means we put others first.

I read a book a few years ago where the authors quoted a respected Pschologist who said this. "I am thoroughly convinced that if Christians practiced the 'one anothers' to any degre at all, 90% of my Christian clients wouldn't need me - and all the others - Christan or non-Christian - would flock to the church where it was happening"

What a challenge?

Let's start today to build the kind of communities that people will want to be a part of - including us!!!!