Rick Warren's Blog, page 623

The Connection Between Generosity and Community

When we���re generous with each other, we draw closer to each other, and that creates community.

Learn How to Be Empathetic

You���re never going to live in harmony with your wife, your husband, your friends, or anybody else without empathy. You can���t have a team without being aware of what���s happening in each other���s lives. That���s why when people work together in an office, they may do work together, but they���re not a team unless they know what���s going on in each other���s lives.

Here���s How to Become a Trustworthy Person

Trust is the emotional glue that draws you closer to your friends, your family, and your small group. Without trust, you���re never going to have the intimate relationship that God wants you to have. Teamwork without trust is impossible.

You Serve God By Serving Other People

There���s only one way you can serve God: by serving other people. Whenever you use your talents, time, energy, and resources to help other people, that���s called ministry.

Four Benefits to Admitting Your Mistakes

There���s a secret ingredient that builds community faster than anything else: admitting our mistakes. But why in the world would anybody risk honesty? Because it���s worth the risk. God says there are four benefits of being honest about our mistakes, our feelings, our faults, and our fears.

When You Help Others Grow, You Grow, Too

God wired it so that when you help other people grow, God helps you grow. You never grow faster than when you���re in fellowship with other believers and encouraging each other���s commitment to following Jesus Christ.

The Greatest Gift of Love Is Attention

The Bible says in Galatians 6:10, ���Give special attention to those who are in the family of believers��� (NCV). So why do people in the family of God get special attention?

Because whatever you pay attention to is going to grow. If I pay attention to my garden, it���s going to grow. If I pay attention to my kids, they���re going to grow. If I pay attention to my marriage, it���s going to grow. If I pay attention to my work, it���s going to grow.

How to Pray for Spiritual Growth

Paul wrote about a prayer warrior in Colossians 4:12: ���Epaphras ... always prays for you that you will grow to be spiritually mature��� (NCV).

Epaphras is a hero to me. I don���t know about you, but prayer is hard for me. You���d think it should come naturally, but it doesn���t for me. So it impresses me even more that Epaphras had the discipline to always take time to pray for

Affirm Others By Accepting Them

Here���s a little secret: Everybody is looking for affirmation. Have you noticed that? People will do almost anything to get it. If you don���t believe that, just watch some of the reality shows. Look at what people do to get on TV, just so people will applaud them.

Change Requires Honest Community

To change the defects in your life, you have to have people in your life who tell you the truth. You���re not going to get well on your own; you���re going to need other people in your life. You���re going to need support. You���re going to need a small group. Change requires honest community.