Community life

My weekends have never been the same since I joined a renewal community of Christians. And there are a lot of things I gained from redirecting my life’s focus. Above all, I have proven anybody wrong when the say involvement in such weird activities takes away your friends, your family, and your enjoyment. Now I’m sharing to the whole world what my recent community life has brought me.

It draws a lot of new friends-true friends, and brothers-real brothers contrary to what the world says I will lose them.

The good thing is these additional networks are even better for they share good moments of brotherly fellowship and they are not just drinking buddies who come near you when all things seem right and are nowhere to be found when the going gets tough.

When I had given up one old associates during the times when I was with the “world” I gained seven times the number of acquaintances

When the longing for closeness of blood brothers arise and I couldn't find it because they are also busy with their own lives, I found more than consolation with my newly found brothers in faith who share with us their ideas, life’s lessons, problems, they even pray with us together, and we partake a lot of happy moments every week. What a valuable experience.

If I had just listened to the best and tempting reasons the evil has spread in this world that I would lose friends if join the community I wouldn't have been here enjoying the real friends the Master of Light had really prepared for me. Well, perhaps the evil one said as he saw me neglecting his wait, “Go on, there’s a lot of somebody else willing to take my bait.”

I enjoyed life and the world to the fullest contrary to what the world says I will deprive myself the chance to enjoy them.

The old world spread another deception when it declared joining a Christian society would deprive my right to enjoy life and the world. But of course, the world is the best come-on the devil can offer. And he wants to inculcate in our minds his own version of enjoyment which really is highly tempting. Isn’t it?

But I found out from within that it is really... really enjoyable and gratifying being part of a group that incessantly praises and offers songs of acclamation to the Lord. I have experienced the kind of “high” in union with God, the “high” I haven't gone through from worldly things, sex, wines, vices, and others. Yes! Finally I realized this is the kind of delight the devil is depriving us.

The worldly pleasures brought destruction of the body much as it also destroys the soul just as rust eats up even the strongest of irons . But the satisfaction of the spirit regenerates it and the spirit of God polishes the body and the soul just as acids and heat refines the gold.

Now I realized the greatest enjoyment and happiness is experiencing them through building a self free of physical corruption rather than through worldly pleasures that causes physical destruction.

It even enhances family bonding contrary to what the world say we lose time for our home

As the major prize, our involvement with community life enhances the bonding between us and our family members. My children learned to become responsible, and we found time working together for the greater glory of God.

Today, which was never before, we served in the community as partner-husband and wife. My children served with the youth community. Today, which never was then, I found pride to share everything I experienced to my children, brothers and sisters, and everyone else.