I vividly remember bringing home my first report card. My kindergarten teacher, Ms. Miller, handed them out at the end of the day, and I tucked mine into my bright orange backpack before filing out of the classroom. Later that day, as my mother opened the envelope and examined my grades, she read aloud to me Ms. Miller’s assessment, “Susan is a loner. During recess, she prefers to read and avoids group activities.”
Well, there you have it. My personality was fully intact at age 5, and my preferences haven’t changed much in the last four decades. Please don’t misunderstand; it’s not that I don’t enjoy people. In fact, I love people. People are at the center of every good memory I treasure. But I need time alone to recharge. Unlike my extroverted friends, I find lengthy group settings draining, and I don’t enjoy small talk. I’m not ashamed of this. In fact, I’ve learned to embrace being an introvert because it’s how God wired me.
As a Christ follower, how does this relate to biblical community? Since I am an introvert, does this give me a pass on connecting with others? Should I shy away from biblical community because it sometimes forces me away from my preferences? From a biblical perspective, the answer is, “no.” And I’ve learned I wouldn’t want a pass anyway. Let me explain.
In Acts 2, we find the apostles early in the history of the New Testament church. Scripture makes it clear that fellowship was a big part of the early church. Acts 2:42 says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
These new believers didn’t meet just once a week to attend church. They experienced life together by caring for each other, studying the Scriptures together, and encouraging each other in their faith. As we study the Scriptures, it doesn’t take long to understand that God designed all of us—introverts and extroverts alike—to be in community. The Christian life is not designed as a solitary experience, and there isn’t a single instance in Scripture of a spiritual hermit. Life is too hard, and the enemy is too fierce to consider being a spiritual loner.
Is biblical community annoying sometimes? Yes. Will you get frustrated? Count on it. Is it possible that you will find some of your most meaningful relationships in a biblical community? I bet you do.
2 Responses
Good morning Ms. Susan,
Thank you for sharing this perspective on sharing life with others. Having lived in community environments for the majority of the last few years, I too have learned the necessity of allowing others into my world. The encouragement I can offer to others and the encouragement I receive from others is priceless in my life
Yes, Karen. Giving and receiving in the context of community truly is priceless. Great to hear from you!