Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

2 Timothy 4:11 (NIV)

Our unhealed pain can deprive us from enjoying community with God and each other. We can become so lost and wounded that we cannot fix ourselves. The temptation is to withdraw from fellowship altogether. Isolation is a bad form of protection because we still stay stuck with our anger, grief and hurt.

We don't heal in isolation, but in community.

Belonging and being loved are the first steps of our healing. People may not always know what to do or say but knowing that someone cares for you provides lots of comfort and assurance.

When the Apostle Paul was in prison, he wrote about how the people around him loved him and cared about him. He expressed his gratitude for their kindness towards him. Without them, Paul would not have persevered and remained committed to his calling.

People cannot truly heal unless they acknowledge their pain. If they can't open up and tell us what's really been going on in their life, it means they don't feel safe enough with us to express their feelings. So let us pray that we will become that community when people come, they are not afraid or embarrassed to express vulnerability or weakness.

Some people may see hospitality as a special gift, but Scripture clearly tells us that loving others is a biblical commandment for everyone who follows Jesus.

If we want our community to stay strong and healthy, we need to learn how to be hospitable, generous, and welcoming. But we do these things not to draw attention to ourselves but to point people to the ultimate welcome of God.