Over the past year or two, I have been teaching my boys how to cook.  It’s been an adventure and learning experience for myself as well.  I learned that the difference between a teaspoon (t) and a tablespoon (T) is not as straight-forward as I thought it was.  Although cooking is basically following instructions, there is a good deal of technique, experience, and tips that are extremely helpful in learning from other people.

One night, it was just my oldest and I at home.  He decided to have an egg roll with his meal.  I told him to get an egg roll from the freezer and follow the instructions on how to heat it up.  The instructions said to roll the egg roll loosely in a paper towel and heat it in the microwave.  I was busy preparing some other food and glanced over at my son’s progress.  What I saw perplexed me for a moment.  There he was, gently rolling his egg roll back and forth on a paper towel.  He could no doubt feel my gaze on him and he looked up with this extremely perturbed look on his face that said, “Mom, this is so dumb.”  At that, I realized what he was doing and disintegrated into laughter.  He had misread the directions!  He thought it said to roll it ON a paper towel instead of roll it IN a paper towel.  We took a moment to re-read the instructions, which then made a lot more sense to him.  We had a good laugh together as we finished our dinner preparations.

Growing in our walk with the Lord is a lot like cooking.  We start out having to be fed on the basics.  Then we mature and can absorb more.  Next, we can start feeding ourselves, which progresses into preparing food for ourselves.  Finally, we develop to the point where we can prepare food for others.

We aren’t meant to go through this process alone.  We mature in community.  Right now, I’m participating in a ladies Bible study at my church.  I love group Bible studies.  I learn so much from others.  You see, God doesn’t teach us in levels such as passing Christianity 101 to graduate onto Christianity 201.  He reveals Himself to each one of us differently.  Therefore, we all have something to learn from each other. 

I learned this concept in my early 20’s.  I was attending a Bible study with a brand-new Christian.  Throughout the study I would help her navigate in her Bible, as it was completely new and confusing to her (think John, I John, II John, III John).  One evening she shared something she had learned about God that had never occurred to me before.  I was amazed.  Who is this God who shares glimpses of Himself with whom He pleases?  Even now, I can spend weeks and even years intensely studying a certain aspect of God and gain new insight from another person.

Studying the Bible in a group is immensely helpful.  We learn from each other’s experiences, insights, tips, and techniques.  Each one of us is a part of the body of Christ.  Getting to experience God’s Word with others helps us get to know the whole body of Christ and experience God more completely. 

We aren’t meant to stumble through this maturing process alone, getting frustrated and perturbed along the way.  Make a point to get involved in community, in the body of Christ.  I could offer all kinds of suggestions on how to make that happen, and actually started to, but have since deleted all those words.  Ask God.  If you aren’t able to be in community with other believers, ask God to show you how to make that happen. 

Please, share a comment below on how the community of believers has been an encouragement to you.  What do you value about group Bible study?  How are you stuck in finding community?  Let us encourage and support one another.  Share your point of view.  It just may be exactly what someone needs to hear.

Scriptures to simmer on this week:
Hebrews 10:19-25
Acts 2:42-47
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Colossians 3:1-16
Romans 12:1-5