The church not only helps you center your life on God, but it also helps you connect with other believers.

God did not put you here to live an isolated life. While you’re on earth, God wants you to learn to love other people, and he wants you to practice loving others in his family. The Bible says, “Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other” (Romans 12:5 GW). When you become a child of God, you’re connected to other believers as their brother or sister.

The Bible says you’re part of a body. What is this body? The Message paraphrase of Romans 12:5 says it this way: “The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much” (MSG).

When you’re disconnected from God’s family—the body of Christ—your spiritual life will be weak. It’s like cutting off a finger; a finger dies when it’s separated from the rest of the body. To fulfill its purpose, a finger has to stay connected to a body. In the same way, you need to be connected to other Christians, to the body of Christ, if you want to grow spiritually and fulfill God’s purpose for your life.

A study on mental health revealed that if you isolate yourself from others and don’t develop close friendships (like those in a small group), you are three times more likely to die an early death. You’re four times more likely to suffer emotional burnout. You’re five times more likely to be clinically depressed. And you’re 10 times more likely to be hospitalized for an emotional or mental disorder. We need each other.

No matter your situation, find ways to connect to other believers. Become part of a church family. Join a small group. Get connected. As Ephesians 2:19 says, “You are members of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (TLB).