By Lori Witham

I was thinking today about how much we as Christians are involved in communities. God Himself is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a community of three. He surrounds us with the community of the Church. Christians are meant to live and witness among the community of the world. So as we serve God among communities, our lives will involve others, as it should.

Sometimes, though it is a joy to serve God, He will use our obedience to show others that they are being disobedient to Him. God uses us in a community to be an example to others and to obey God, and we must not prevent our witness being seen.

Sometimes, as a missionary raising a team of supporters to enable us to go, it seems too difficult to get a team together. It would be much easier to do it alone without others involved. But that’s not how God sees it. He planned it so that there are many people involved with His work. He wants us to work with others, in a community. So we go out to the church communities and present the need, asking for others to join the team.

There is a community involved in God’s work overseas as well. Bible translation, for example, involves many ministries to accomplish the work of completing a translation. As God’s servants, we are learning to listen to God’s leading for what He wants each of us to do in the community. Sharing the workload of another, lending a hand, going where you don’t think you’re able. But God enables.

God is even broadening our idea of community by asking how Madang town churches can be involved in the work of Bible translation and Scripture use for our village language groups. By serving God, we see Him opening up new doors in this wide community to broaden opportunities to bring God’s Word and His message to people yearning to know Him.

What about you? Are you obeying God’s voice to participate in some new ways in His community? Does He have a ministry He would like you to serve in? Obedience is a joy, and it’s up to God where He leads.

Lori is a desktop publishing specialist, typesetting scripture. She is now working remotely in the States for the PNG branch.