There is a zone in life that is more dangerous than danger zone, it is called comfort zone or solitary zone. Gone are the days when people were comfortably suffering and smiling; in this age and time, a lot of people are sinking and smiling. I’ve come to realise that doing life alone can be more devastating than doing life with the wrong people.
One of the greatest sources of success in life is having the right relationships and one of the surest sources of stress is wrong relationships; but the most unwise decision anybody can make is having ‘no relationships’. The life of a loner hardly makes sense. However, a wrong relationship can be a blessing in disguise. Every relationship can either be a blessing or a lesson, what makes the difference is the power of positive perception.
In a world where depression and suicide have become the norm, the significance of having a circle of strength cannot be overemphasized. I have had to deal with deep depression too, it was further fuelled by wrong relationships and lonesomeness. However, I got to a point where I wrote this short poem:
I have seen heaven and hell
Nightmares don’t scare me any more…
I have terrifying tales to tell,
Echoes of woes don’t move me anymore.
I know the valley of the shadow of death,
I’ve been there before.
Jesus restored my soul and my strength…
His grace kept my core.
In the inaugural speech of the current President of Nigeria, He said “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. In some Christian communities, a lot of people seem to be lost in the crowd and their testimony is “I fellowship with everybody, I’m in friendship with nobody” or worst still, “I live with everybody, I lean on nobody”; little wonder The Elevation Church has put systems and structures in place where it is easy for guests to move from the crowd to the committed, one of such systems is the small groups system.
Some small groups are interest-based while some are location based. Everyone has a group where they feel at home with people who speak their ‘language’. Small groups are not only circles of strength, they are a major source of stability in adversity and sustainability in prosperity. Small groups provide a platform for members to experience favourable friendships, fulfilling fellowship and deep discipleship in an atmosphere of faith, fun and freedom.
The first small group in the world can be traced to Genesis chapter one, where God called a mini conference which led to the creation of man. Since then, small groups have always played a major role in the discovery, development and deployment of creative capacities.
Below are four reasons why small groups are sacrosanct:
- Personal Discovery: Vulnerability is a key factor in self-discovery. Except a seed falls to the ground and breaks, it abides alone. It is easier to get integrated, inspired and ignited in a small group than in a large community. For instance, teaching and learning is everyone’s duty in small groups, questions are asked and answered by anyone who wishes to but that doesn’t often happen during church sermons. Leadership qualities are swiftly discovered, developed and deployed in small groups.
- Purpose Delivery: Small groups do not only provide a platform for people to learn from each other, it also provides a platform for interaction, interrelation and interconnection. It is easier to share ideas, sharpen strategies and shape destinies in small groups because people of like minds who share same interest often find it easy to bond and build each other up in such settings.
- Effective Ministry: No one comes to the larger church to share their secret storms and struggles but due to the high voltage vulnerability in small groups, it is easier to minister to peoples’ needs without much ado. Small groups are more like the backbone of ministry.
- Greatness Gallery: I have always maintained that anyone who wants to stand tall must be willing to start small; every big and beautiful thing around us started small. The disciples of Jesus in the early part of his ministry were just twelve, but look at the whole world, billions of Christians are making greatness common in different spheres of life. Doing life together guarantees greatness.
I encourage you to join a small group today and enjoy doing life with amazing people who will uplift, inspire, encourage and motivate you towards achieving your purpose.
Written by Adeleke Adeite
Inspiring piece….