40 Days of Community: Designed For Discipleship

Day 23. You were designed for discipleship. God put us together in such a way that we need to grow in our faith as disciples in a group. Being a part of a discipling group is essential to growing in our faith. It is essential to have other people with us on our faith journey. And not just people that will cheer us on (although we need that), but people who will ask us hard questions and hold us accountable in our faith.
The two most popular excuses I hear for not being in a discipling small group are fear of not knowing the Bible well enough and because the other people might hurt them.
To the first excuse I try to remind people that the point of the group is to get to know the Bible better. Everyone else in the group is there to learn also. Some may know a little more, but chances are someone will know less. I don't know it all and I need help from others to understand the Scriptures. That is okay. The point of the group is not to show off your biblical knowledge, it is to grow in your faith and grow in your knowledge of the love of God. (You may have someone who "knows it all" but they need your presence as well.)
I know the other concern about being hurt by other people is a real concern. When we are open and honest with other people we become vulnerable to being hurt by them. And if we are honest we have hurt people as well. This is part of being in relationship with imperfect people. The best way to handle this is to be open about it. Share those concerns with the people in your group. Let them know how important it is to you that confidences are kept. Also remember you do not have to bare your soul at the first meeting. Take your time. Get to know the people in the group and when you are ready you can share.
My best advice is to try a small group and if that one does not work try another. And keep trying until you find the right group. If a child gave up trying to walk because they fell once or twice, we would all be crawling around ruining our pants. So keep looking for the right people and the right group for you to be growing in discipleship with others around you. You will truly be blessed by those relationships and God will fill your life with amazing blessings.