Your Spirtual Wolf Pack: One Another Christianity!
I saw the above photo on Facebook a little while back and thought 'You know...wolves may have it more together than humans do!' LOL! No seriously though...I made sure to do more research and not rely on Facebook but reading about the formation of the pack's order really got me thinking about the community of people that we keep around us. The protection of the pack, the inclusion of all members, everyone had a role and purpose, the leader having everyone's back and keeping eyes on the pack was simple but powerful. You may have heard people refer to having a tribe or a village but whatever you would like to call it, we all need help in walking this journey called life!
Biblically, there are a ton of scriptures discussing 'One Another Christianity.' What is 'One Another Christianity' you ask? Well, plainly put it's Christianity interaction with other people. I'll drop some scriptures:
~"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:25 NLT
~"Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." Galatians 6:2-3 NLT
~"And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:34-35 NLT
~Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16 NIV
I could go on & on but as you can see, the Bible is clear that we are suppose to have godly relationships and there is an expectation as to how these relationships should function.
As I was sitting and reflecting over my life, I can say that I have always had friendships/relationships but it wasn't until I FULLY gave my life to Christ that I truly understood the importance of these interactions. Melvin & I have wonderful people in the fight with us but we haven't always had this. Our lives DRASTICALLY changed when we started building our relationships on Christ and not on the world. I started thinking of attributes that have helped us when seeking and forming our Spiritual Wolf Pack and honestly, a single blog post wouldn't do it justice. BUT, I do have a good overview of common things to consider when you yourself are on that journey as well:
1. Diversify your group: Your wolf pack should include people from all walks of life. Different generations, races, socioeconomic status, life stage...you get the point! Fresh out of college and newly married, we noticed that all we had around us were other black people that lived in the South and were freshly out of college and/or newly married as well. Everyone looked like us, sounded like us, dressed like us, etc. At first glance, you might ask why is this a problem? Think about it...how can you grow in that environment? Who will give you another perspective? If all of your friends are like you, chances are you all have a lot of the same likes/dislikes and strengths/weaknesses...who's going to call you higher if your thought process is similar? I'm not saying to throw those friendships away but start adding a variety of people and perspectives to your crew!
2. Sit at someone's feet: We should never stop learning! This could come as a mentor, a coach, a teacher. This role should be clear to you and them....you learn, they teach! There are many relationships in the bible that illustrate this...Elijah and Samuel, Jesus and the apostles, Paul and Timothy, Priscilla & Aquilla and Apollos, and so on! Though I do recommend this person being someone older than you that has acquired wisdom through their years but it doesn't necessarily have to be. It could simply be someone that has more experience than you do. Again, you learn, they teach!
3. Pour into someone: Now of course you have to pay it forward. How is the next generation going to thrive if we don't show them? Look for someone that is eager to be taught. Again, think about the relationships listed above. Their roles were clear. You are the teacher and they are the student. Of course, if you are going to be the teacher, make sure you know what you are talking about. Ain't nothing worse than the blind leading the blind LOL!
4. Peer relationships: So this would be your accountability partners. They are walking beside you in life's journey...not leading you or being led by you! This role is dynamic. You are helping each other!
5. Cancel the 'No New Friends' policy: Let me be frank...I hate hearing people say 'No New Friends.' That instantly lets me know that you are limited in life because think of ALL the knowledge and life that people can give you. I'll give you an example: a few years back I became great friends with a woman named Elizabeth. Eli is from Mexico and through casual conversations I have learned so much about her culture and the struggles that they endure. This is so important because being a black woman, I can get so caught up in my own struggles that I can forget that I ain't the only one out here with a struggle. It has made me so much more culturally sensitive and it wouldn't have been possible without stepping out of my comfort zone and making a NEW FRIEND!
So there you have...I know this is a short list but I wanted to give you general overview. Also, most importantly...PRAY! Pray that God sends the right people your way and that your eyes and heart are open for them. I say an open heart because relationships, no matter how great the person is, are hard! They take commitment, investment, hard work, and LOVE!
Anywho, what attributes should be added to the list? Let's keep the conversation going!