WHEN LIFE STONES YOU, YOUR SPIRITUAL FAMILY GATHERS AROUND YOU
When life stones you, your spiritual family gathers around you. In other words, when you’re going through storms and problems that want to knock you down, that is where the warmth, loyalty, and love of your spiritual family protects you and helps you get back up.
Let’s view the following stages Paul faced in the city of Lystra.
1. Stoned.
Nowadays, it is less likely that someone will be physically stoned and dragged out of a town. Nevertheless, many people are “stoned” with crises, sicknesses, loneliness, stress, discrimination, divorce, or the pain of losing a son or daughter to drugs.
2. Thinking he was dead.
In several occasions, people think, “I can’t get back up this time”. They think that they’ve hit rock bottom, they get depressed and can no longer continue with their life. However, this is only a thought, and not the reality God has in store for you.
3. Believers gathered around him.
True friends and believers in Christ gather around you with their prayers, and they help you get back up when life has beat you down.
The Bible says that Paul was rescued by his church brothers: 20 But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town… Acts of the Apostles 14:20 NLT
Do you see what just happened? He wasn’t saved by his friends at the bar, instead he was surrounded and rescued by the believers. This is why it is important to belong to a House of Peace or a discipleship. Join a good Christian church in your community, and be part of a spiritual family so that you can count on someone to “gather around” you when life tries to “stone” you.
Think about it:
Who is your spiritual family?
Do you feel supported by your brothers in Christ? How do they help you?
