Building Community
We are ten weeks into the Year of Freedom, and I am so excited! Before we get into this week's topic, let's do a quick recap of what we've discussed so far.
Let’s Recap
Week 1- The Year of Freedom: I shared the word given to me about the Year of Freedom, what it's all about and why you need to be free to move forward and elevate into your purpose.
Week 2- You Deserve More: We discussed that God was intentional when He created you, and regardless of past mistakes or failures, you deserve to experience the abundant life He has prepared for you.
Week 3- Value Check: We examined what we value in life, the value we place on our relationship with God, and how it affects our daily lives.
Week 4- A Reason to Hope: I shared how to enter into the presence of God, so you can reclaim hope and restore your faith in what He wants to do in and through your life.
Week 5- Stop Settling: You were encouraged to stop settling for less and make a commitment to push through the challenging and uncomfortable times so you can receive what God has in store for you.
Week 6- Your Faith is Powerful: I shared what faith consists of, and you were reminded that your faith alone is enough to see the mighty work of God manifest in your life.
Week 7- Endless Possibilities: You were challenged to look at what/who you are relying on for fulfillment.
Week 8- Keys to the Kingdom: We took away the stigma around prayer and learned what prayer is and how it allows you to access your God-given power here on earth.
Week 9- Taking Inventory: We distinguished good distractions from bad distractions, how to identify them in our lives, and surrender them to God so we can continue producing fruit in our lives.
What a journey this has been! If you are just now tuning in, it's not too late. Your Year of Freedom can start right now.
Community
This week I want to focus on community. Who is in your circle? Are you surrounded by others who are pouring into you?
I used to live by the motto, "no new friends," and there have been seasons in my life when I felt like I didn't need anyone but myself. But the truth is I did, and I do, we all do. Life is fun, and life is challenging. We need people to celebrate and experience the highs with, and we need people to encourage and hold us accountable. We need community.
Whether you've been on this journey toward freedom or are just joining us, you have a desire to be a better woman and a desire to live your life to the fullest, the way God intended for you too. And while this journey is rewarding, it is not always easy.
Growth hurts, and it pushes us outside of our comfort zone. Your community will support you during these times, and they will pray over you, speak life into and contribute to your growth in ways that you would have never imagined. When you lean on your community, you are giving other people an opportunity to be used by God, to be a blessing to you.
My community has grown over the years, and I have people surrounding me from all different walks of life with their own set of unique experiences. Some I talk to daily, weekly, every other month, and some I speak to a few times out of the year. They don't each know all parts of my story, but they know the details relevant to their God-given role in my life. And it's been amazing to see how God has blessed me and sent messages through them, specifically for me.
Community is not about telling all your business. It's about building relationships that support you in life, and it's about helping others. Everyone's community will look and function differently. Your community may be large or small, virtual, in-person, or both. Whatever the case, lean on them and embrace them.
What’s Next
I encourage you to do three things:
Ask God to reveal to you people currently in your life that He has designated to walk with you during this season.
Ask God to give you discernment as you seek out or meet new people in hopes of growing or getting your community started.
Join my community on Facebook: The Purpose Chasers. You never know who may meet that can pour into you or that you can encourage and support.