You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2
Last week was about your own leadership abilities, but this week is about how your group responds to each other. In reading through the study guide, there's lots of talk surrounding how well you know the other people in the group. (Keep in mind that this study guide is to be done in a small group, I'm doing it on my own) I've been through a variety of small groups over the years, and I've never felt the type of small group they're describing.
They're talking of a small group that knows the needs of others within the group and responds to it. A widow didn't have to move anything when she moved houses, because everyone from her small group showed up to help her. A man was in the hospital and everyone from the small group showed up to be with him and his family. A new mother turned away a neighbor bringing a casserole dish because everyone from her small group had already filled up her fridge. Maybe I'm cynical, or maybe I haven't been in those types of groups, but whenever a situation arose with someone, everyone else would offer to pray about it, but never gave up their own time to do this type of service towards each other.
I started to think about it, and when I say that no one in the group did that, I include myself. I didn't give up my time to this level to support others in the small group. Nor did I share enough about myself to let others in the small group even know when I went through difficulties that may have warranted this type of a response. This type of environment doesn't just happen when a group is brought together, it has to be created. You have to put yourself out there first, and offer your help first, before others will start to do so. It's exceptionally hard for me to really open up in these types of environments, so the next group that I join, I'm going to make an effort to always put out a prayer request for me. I might include a friend or family's request, but I'll put out something about what I need help with. The few times that I did do that, I'd get people coming up to talk to me later about it, and I would do the same for others who brought up their own requests. That's the start of creating that relational environment. It feels risky and awkward, but it's the first step. Put yourself out there, and you'll be able to support others.