Doing activities with friends has always helped me be consistent, whether it was working out, cooking, or playing sports or games. The camaraderie and fellowship with people who share a mutual interest have encouraged me to be faithful. It is the same with thinking and acting on God’s Word. When we surround ourselves with believers who love God and do His Word, we set ourselves up to be successful in building our faithfulness. By fellowshipping with believers on a regular basis, we can stand for God and His Word for a lifetime. Two aspects of fellowship are especially important to building faithfulness: giving God’s Word to each other and supporting and comforting one another.
We can fellowship with other believers who are like-minded on the Word and give God’s Word to each other. The time we spend with them can help us increase our knowledge of the Word. God tells us in Colossians that we are to let the Word dwell in us richly and then speak it to each other.
Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Spending time with believers makes teaching and admonishing one another available. Our time with believers opens doors for us to be taught how to believe and act on God’s Word and how to return to God’s Word when we stray.
Ephesians 4:15,16:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Growth is a result of speaking the truth in love, both for us individually, as well as collectively as the Body of Christ. We can see ourselves standing faithfully as we grow in our understanding and application of God’s Word.
Another important aspect of fellowship is that we can support and comfort one another. Difficulties can arise even when we are doing God’s Word. We need support from like-minded believers to help us remain faithful to what the Word says. In soccer (or “football” outside the United States), each team can have at most eleven players on the field at a time. Even though there are situations where playing with less than eleven players is permitted, does that mean a team would willingly play with only nine or ten? No! The more players a team has means the more support they can provide each other. Similarly, being with other believers means we can support one another and believe together for deliverance.
Colossians 2:2:
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.
Spending time with one another allows us to see needs and comfort each other. We are not alone; we have each other! We work together to support each other with our mutual believing. When we choose to spend time with believers who are faithful to follow the principles of God’s Word, we can believe together to see the promises of God fulfilled in our lives.
Faithfully fellowshipping with like-minded believers can help us stay on God’s path for our lives. Without their support, we may find that conducting our lives according to the Word is more challenging. The people we surround ourselves with can make all the difference. If our company is positive, uplifting, and Word centered, we will be strengthened to live God’s Word faithfully one day at a time. Let’s continue to fellowship with like-minded believers and build our faithfulness by giving God’s Word to each other and by supporting and comforting one another.