“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” Hebrews 10:25
Most of us have a need for some type of community. We may feel the need to isolate at 
times, but we will eventually desire some kind of interaction with others. Many studies have found that suicide rates, child abuse, criminal activity are all greater in neighborhoods where there is a lack of positive community involvement. Even in prisons, whether it be during war or in the penal system, one of the worst punishments for most prisoners is solitary confinement. As one writer has said, “Isolation is a health hazard.”
The Bible has a lot to say about our need to belong. God said at the very beginning, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) 
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Since we are part of a body, we should work in conjunction with one another so that the body can function fully. It would be foolish for one part to say to another “I don’t need you,” or even for it to say, “You don’t need me.” Our bodies are remarkable. Each part contributes in some way to the rest of the parts. The body might still function if one part is missing, but not as fully as it could. When we lose a limb or sight or even an organ, our functioning is affected. We either have to replace that part or another part of the body has to pick up the slack.
When my brother was playing football at U of O he had to have a muscle removed in his leg after an injury. It was the muscle that controls up and down foot movement (like tapping your foot). The doctors said that he would have “flop foot” the rest of his life. Well, miraculously, the other muscles in his foot took over that missing function and he is fine now (not as good as before, but fine). The other muscles in his leg took over the job of raising his foot. But now the other muscles in his leg must do double duty. Because they must do their own job and something else, they fatigue faster and hurt sooner. Also, since that muscle is gone, his nerves are more exposed and if he is hit on the leg it is incredibly painful because there is no muscle to protect it. Again, he functions, but not at full capacity- not as he was intended to function.
The verse in Hebrews encourages us to regularly gather together with other believers. This isn’t just a nice idea. There are very practical reasons for doing so. We all have gifts. By sharing our gifts with others we can build others up and encourage them. We, in turn, are built up in our faith by being with others who believe. Like my brothers leg, if we do not share our gifts with others, the slack will have to be picked up somewhere else by someone else. A muscle that is not used atrophies and will eventually die. When that happens, the muscle is useless and that part of the body is left to try and function without or until something else takes over. Both the muscle and the body are lesser for it.
We can believe that we do not need Christian fellowship, but according to God’s Word that is a mistake. Paul compares us to the body for a reason. It would be selfish if my right arm had a mind of its own and just decided it didn’t want to be part of me any longer. It would not be good for me or my right arm. Both would be left crippled. We can always say we don’t need anyone else, but what about those who need us? What about the encouragement others may need that only we can fulfill? Christians who live in isolation often atrophy and through time become weak and sometimes even useless. Being a functioning part of the body strengthens us and we become more and more useful to the rest of the body.
As Christians we can have much of our need for belonging met in God, but we also need the fellowship and the encouragement of others. Jesus is our all, but sometimes it is just good to be around someone with skin on. So let us avail ourselves of the opportunity to fellowship with others so that we can be functioning at our full potential in the Body of Christ. We are meant to complement each other, which means to make complete. Let’s do everything we can to make the body as full functioning as possible. The world certainly needs to see Christ’s church strong and whole in these uncertain times.
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