“Let’s hurry up and finish the study,” said one of our ladies during small group a few weeks ago. “So we can clean the apartment for her!” she finished, bursting with excitement.
We’ve been meeting for small group in a lovely Ballston apartment for the past two years. Our “hostess with the mostess”, as we like to call her, had to leave group early that night, and the ladies couldn’t wait to serve her by giving the place a little mid-week sprucing up.
Talk about melting my heart.
Our small group went on to eagerly pick up cups and snacks, put away clean dishes, wash the dirty ones, empty the trash, wipe the counters, clean the bathroom, and fold the clothes of our sister in Christ. In the midst of learning about God’s Word, here was a group of women who wanted to immediately put Scripture into practice.
About a year ago, after hearing a message preached on serving our church body like Christ served and loving through word and deed, we asked each girl in small group to share a way that we could better serve her.
To our girls without cars, it was rides to and from the grocery store. To another, it was help with her grad school application. More fellowship outside of small group. Continued prayer. Accountability in Scripture memorization. One-by-one, the ladies shared, and we took on the interests of those around us, striving to be in community as Paul encouraged the New Testament believers in Philippians 2:3-4.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others.”
As we took up the interests of others and began memorizing God’s Word weekly as a group, our sense of community began to grow and thrive. Y’all, there is something so sweet and life-changing about hiding the truths and promises of the Scriptures in your heart. Even on days when you don’t feel like serving or seeking to live in community, a gentle reminder from the Holy Spirit affirms what you know to be true:
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