Message Minute (Nobody Watches a Family)

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

A small Greek word shows up around a hundred times in the New Testament. It’s allelon, usually translated “one another.” Roughly 59 of those uses are direct commands. Love one another. Forgive one another. Bear with one another. Encourage one another. Confess your sins to one another. Carry each other’s burdens.

Here’s the catch. Not one of those commands can be obeyed alone. There is no private version of “bear with one another.” Nobody can forgive one another while sitting alone in the car with a podcast. Every command requires another person who knows your name and is close enough to get on your nerves.

That means God designed the Christian life to be impossible to live in isolation. Community isn’t a bonus feature for extroverts. It’s the only way the commands work.

So why do so many of us keep our distance? Because watching is safe. Watching keeps control in our hands. We decide how close and how long, and we can leave without a conversation. Belonging costs more. It means being known, being needed, and being inconvenienced at bad times.

You can be a fan of a team, a follower of an account, or a subscriber to a channel. But nobody is a fan of a family. There’s no spectator section at Thanksgiving. You’re either at the table passing the potatoes or you’re not in the family. Attending for years while no one knows what’s really going on in your life isn’t belonging. It’s loyal viewing. God wants so much more for you. He wants you at the table.

Reflection: Which “one another” command would be hardest for me to practice right now, and who is one person I could practice it with this week?

Prayer: Father, I admit I like the safety of watching from a distance. I want control over how close people get. Forgive me. Give me courage to be known, needed, and even inconvenienced. Lead me to one person this week I can love the way You love me. Amen.