Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Over the last several weeks, almost all of my routines and habits have been disrupted. My sleep schedule is messed up, work is now done from home, church is done virtually, and honestly, I sometimes don’t remember what day it is. Of all the things that I miss during this time, the number one thing on that list is my community. I am blessed with not only a strong body of believers to call my church family, but also a group of friends who have been my source of community for several years. These are “my people”, the ones we go to when we are in need, the ones that we spend time with on a regular basis, and the ones who build us up and speak truth and life into us when we need it.

So, how do we truly fight for community when it feels like our community has been taken away from us?

Be intentional. Fighting for community, especially now, must be an intentional effort. A friend once told me that you will never do anything you don’t intend to do. While that may sound obvious, making an effort has to be the first step. Make a phone call, set up a social distanced meet-up, plan a Zoom game night or Bible study, go bring someone dinner and drop it off at their house. We can be creative in how we initiate with our people.

Be honest and available. We were not meant to live our lives as believers in isolation. Though right now we are quarantined, that does not mean we have to shut off from other people. As believers, we need others speaking truth into our lives, and we need it often. So when you make that phone call, be open and honest about the hard things and give others an opportunity to encourage you. In turn, you may be able to speak life into them as well. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Seek Opportunity to Serve. Though the intention behind the phrase “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you” is good, it can be hard for others to properly express what they need. Let us be a people who proactively seek out ways to serve and love one another. We can create meaningful community in our lives by how we go out of our way to serve one another.

Healthy community is vital to spiritual health. We have our sisters and brothers in Christ to love and encourage through all seasons of life. Though we are limited right now during quarantine, we can still foster and build meaningful and lasting relationships that will carry us through this difficult season.