We Don't Get Well By Ourselves

I was reading something from the celebrate recovery materials & I wanted to share this principle, "We don't get well by ourselves". We need each other. It went on to say "Fellowship & accountability are 2 important components of spiritual growth". I thought a lot about that. I've always been the type of person that has drawn my strength from the support of others. Once I became a Christian, that support meant so much more to me. I remember another season of my life in which I had started a women's group with a dear friend. We called it "Sister's in Christ" and it truly was a wonderful group in which women shared their burdens & their pains, their joys & their triumphs. It was based on the scripture in Matthew 18:20 "For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them." Every time we gathered, we truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. When life took us elsewhere, that "official" group dissolved, but the Lord still kept us in different fellowships in different places, and we still recognized the importance of "fellowship & accountability". Both of those things are key to any man's happiness, regardless of what it is they are involved in. In our case, fellowship & accountability are a very important part of our freedom as well as our growth through this life changing time.
Acts 2:42-47 gives us a great example of the Fellowship of the believers. It says:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (emphasis mine) I particularly like the parts I made bold, and I'll tell you why. The first sentence I underlined states they "had everything in common". Well, as believers who are struggling with food addiction, so, too, do we have things in common. The Lord will draw even more people to us that have things in common also. Now look at the next sentence I made bold, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved". What an awesome testimony? Do you realize that your struggle is also a testimony in the making? A testimony of God's grace, His mercy & His faithfulness, as well as His power? We are living testimonies every time we overcome the enemy with the power of God through the Holy Spirit!

The Bible also teaches us that not only are we to love each other, but we are to show that love and refresh, encourage and uplift one another.
Philemon 1:4-7 (NKJV)says: " I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."
When Paul speaks to Philemon, he first tells him that he thanks God for him, and that he prays for him all the time. What a friend! Paul cares so much for Philemon that he includes him in his prayers always. That is one of the first things we want to do too, as fellow brothers & sisters in Christ. We are fighting a foe that desires to sift us as wheat and we need the support & fellowship of those brothers & sisters in Christ that can uplift us in the Lord! Paul also acknowledges in verse 7 that Philemon has "refreshed the saints". This is very important, for this is something we really need as we fight this battle. There are so many times we become weary and disheartened and thus we become doorways for the enemy to walk in. We need to strengthen one another's spirits & revive one another so that we can go on with our work here. In the case of those of us battling with eating disorders, or food addictions, we need to catch each other when we fall and we need to lift one another up.

Now for the accountability factor. Being accountable to someone else can be scary sometimes because it means you have to let someone see you at your worst as well as your best. It requires you to remove any masks you are hiding behind & show who you really are. Being accountable does not have to be scary when you are in fellowship with people who are like minded & struggling with the same things. God draws men together in order that they can become stronger. When we become Christians, we become partners in the faith. We should then strip off any preconceived notions about each other & embrace one another for who we are in Christ. We need to step out of the judgment seat & accept one another as brothers & sisters, equal in the sight of God. We need to love one another, support one another & strengthen one another in the Lord.

To be accountable means we must become willing to share the times we fall down with one another so that, in love, we can be built back up BY one another. When we agree to be accountable to another, we make ourselves vulnerable and that can be scary. We are essentially giving someone else permission to hold a mirror up in front of us & tell us what they see. For those of us who avoid the mirror as it is, that can be truly frightening! Take heart my friends! Hebrews 12:11 tells us, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." I love that verse! Do you see what one of the products of discipline is? PEACE!! How long have you searched for peace? Is it possible that you do not have it because you do not accept discipline? Is it possible that you still hold a secret place within yourself that you will not share? This keeps you from experiencing true freedom & this prevents you from having peace. Let it go! Share it, lift your burden by allowing your brother or sister to help you carry it! Healing comes when we become accountable to one another. James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

Howard Hendricks makes a really wonderful statement in his book As Iron Sharpens Iron. He says, ""After more than forty-five years of working with men in terms of mentoring relationships, I can tell you without reservation that the men who are making the greatest impact for God in this generation are men who have placed themselves under the tutelage of other godly men. If you care about making any kind of difference with your life — in your work, with your family, in your community, in your faith — then find someone who can help you grow and realize your life goals." Proverbs 27: 17 says it so well, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." We can become so much more effective when we allow ourselves to be taught & to be disciplined by others in the faith. If you need a place of support & fellowship, consider joining Fight4Freedom ~ an online Christian support group for people wrestling with food addictions.

In closing, let me reiterate, we DON'T get well by ourselves. That is why God calls us into fellowship. Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." We are part of a great fellowship & we are lucky to have one another. As Paul said, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Truly, we have much to be thankful for!

God bless you as you learn to lean on each other!