Safe Zone...

As a pastor, I see more situations than I like that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital alone while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. Nobody should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problematic health condition. Nobody should ever have to wait for news alone regardless of the situation. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when his or her spouse just walked out.

Life's tough times and tragedies are inevitable -- each of us will face them. But we don't need to go through them alone. We need God's SAFE ZONE to provide protection and support through these difficult times.

What is God's SAFE ZONE? It is a group of believers, Christ followers -- a handful of people who are really committed to you. We call this kind of group a community. Here's God's plan for community: "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26). Community is God's answer to despair. Community is God’s answer to life’s difficulties and tragedies. Romans 12:15 expresses it in these words: "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

When you're going through a crisis, you just want somebody to be there to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you. As Paul tells us, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Encouraging someone else doesn't always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence -- waiting and weeping with a friend.

Do you have a SAFE ZONE -- a group of fellow Christ followers you know you can count on in life's toughest times? If not, begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable. A safe zone is an everyday picture of DOING LIFE TOGETHER.