One of the top hand-to-hand fighters in the US Army was once asked what the most important element to winning an unarmed fight is on the battlefield. His response was classic: “have friends with guns.” Wars are not meant to be waged alone.

The Christian life is no different. Note the pronoun used by Jesus throughout the Lord’s prayer. The word plural, not singular. The assumption of community permeates not just the Lord’s prayer, but the analogies used to describe Christians. We are members of the body of Christ, we are children of God, the church (not the individual members) is the bride of Christ. Church is not meant to be something we do on Sunday; it is meant to be part of who we are, an inseparable part of our identity and existence.

The American tradition is one of individual liberty. The Protestant tradition is one of man alone before God. Neither is a bad thing, but both together can cause us to lose sight of the Biblical truth that we are called to be in community with other believers. We are called to share our lives, our prayers, our joys, and our sorrows with other believers. We are called to care for them as we care for ourselves. We are called to approach the church as something we should serve, instead of something that should serve us.

We must remember that as part of the body of Christ, we share in its fate. When we cut ourselves off from other believers, we harm us and them. When we slander other believers, we neglect our duty to love the community of faith that Christ has put us in. Our relationship with others influences our relationship with God.

Is there someone you need to apologize to this week? Encourage? Rebuke? Just spend time hanging-out with? Go do it in the knowledge that it is part of your identity as a Christian and part of our service to your King.