The importance of Community

There are few gifts greater than community when it comes to living out love for God, love for yourself, and love for your neighbor.

Isolation has its place. It is necessary. It is sacred. It is where we confront ourselves, refine ourselves, and build strength. But isolation is preparation, not the destination. Community is where growth is tested, stretched, and multiplied.

When I was younger, I was rarely alone. I had people around me constantly. Yet I was not adding much value to them. My goal was simply to avoid loneliness. I mistook proximity for connection. I mistook activity for growth. Even surrounded by others, I was not truly developing.

At some point, thankfully, I realized I needed to step away. I needed solitude. I needed to work on myself, know myself, understand myself, and learn to value myself. That season of isolation was not about withdrawal. It was about construction. It was about building a man who could later contribute instead of consume.

Only after that work did I feel drawn to intentionally seek and build community. This time it was different. I was no longer looking for people to fill a void. I was looking for people I could serve and grow alongside. I wanted to develop logically, emotionally, and spiritually within a circle that challenged me and sharpened me.

Though that shift sounds simple in a paragraph, it took decades. Hundreds of books read. Hundreds of journal entries written. Four books completed. Years of self-examination and course correction. Community was not the starting point of my journey. It was the fruit of it.

Ironically, my deeper commitment to community began with selfish concerns. After years of living adventurously in different states and cities, I began to recognize that I was aging. Living far from extended family has its cost. I found myself asking a sobering question: If something happened to me, who would check on my wife and kids?

It is funny how many of the best decisions we make begin in concern for others.

With that realization, I intentionally attached myself to good people. One of the most natural ways to build that community was through deeper involvement in my local church and the men within it. I showed up. I stayed consistent. I invested.

Today, I am committed to four group meetings a week dedicated to study, growth, and fellowship. We sharpen one another. We challenge one another. We disagree at times. Like-minded might be a stretch. I do not think I have ever met someone truly like-minded in every way. That is probably a good thing. Growth rarely happens in an echo chamber.

Community matters more than we realize. It provides support for your family, your friends, your group, and yourself. It gives you a place to practice love in real time. It teaches patience, humility, generosity, and forgiveness. It reveals blind spots you cannot see alone.

One of the most powerful engines of personal growth is service. To intentionally give your time, your treasure, and your talents for the benefit of others transforms you. When you commit to a community and stay actively engaged, you grow in every dimension.

I cannot recommend community enough.

As it says in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” That is not just poetry. It is a promise.