If all the approval we needed were God's then wouldn't that be rather individualistic of us? We wouldn't need to make friends, ask for help or for the matter of fact, socialize.
However, we are called into a Community since the very beginning. My revelation is that we are built for relationships, not just the Agape Relationship (Meaning Self-Sacrificing Love) but also the relationship of friends and communistic.
How did I arrive at this? These are the 3 main relationship types we need to get right with, in-order to truly fulfill a wholesome life.
- Personal - Your Family (People Related to You)
- Social - Friends, Mate (People Close to You)
- Spiritual - God
Consider how we wake up each morning to the knowledge that you've got a whole list of things to do and errands to run but with no one to help you with? Or maybe that Wedding Dinner and you're the everything, from Emcee to Cook to Receptionist, and you're the Groom. Face it, it's impossible to go through life without meeting people or needing them.
Even Jesus knew he'd need to gain the trust of people before they would believe Him. He was a very socially accepted person! He was down right Holy, no arguments about that but he was a socially accepted person too. He was a wild party-goer, he would party with Tax Collectors, Sinners, in other words people very much like you and me. He would drink, they used Wine back then, but he wouldn't get drunk, he would tell jokes but not go overboard with them. He is an awesome friend! The Dude of Nazareth back in the days.
Or maybe ask the apostles, how on earth did they camp with The Son of God for about 3-4 years without leaving? Sure, he had loads of wisdom, he was Holy, knew the Path to Righteousness as the back of his hand, even in that case, we'd get bored of him sooner or later. He had topics to talk about, jokes to crack, games to play.
Imagine if you were one of the apostle say... maybe Paul and you are still transiting from your ways from being an anti-christ.
You crack a joke and Jesus goes "NO! YOU STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! WE'RE HOLY MEN, WE DON'T DO SUCH THINGS!"
Well, not someone you'd like to spend 3 years in the wilderness with would you?
So in conclusion, what I'm trying to get at is, it is possible to be social and holy both at the same time. It is faith to be Socially Holy.
