God wired you so that when you help other people grow, God helps you grow. You never grow faster than when you’re in fellowship with other believers and encouraging each other’s commitment to following Jesus Christ.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:7, “Keep yourself in training for a godly life” (GNT). How do you keep training for a godly life? You stay in a small group, and you get a spiritual partner. Have you noticed that it’s always easier to exercise when you’re doing it with somebody else? In the same way, you need someone to walk alongside you through your journey of faith, and you need to make the same commitment to other people.

The world today doesn’t push you to commit to much of anything. It’s all about getting what you want right now. What you want can change from day to day, so the world says to just start going after something new each day, whether that’s a hobby, a job, a ministry, or even a person.

Nothing affects your life more than your commitments. Tell me what you’re committed to, and I’ll tell you what you’re going to be in 20 years, because you are becoming whatever you are committed to. Your commitments shape your life! And if you’re not committed to anything, other people are shaping your life.

Your commitments not only affect here and now; they also affect eternity, because every choice you make has eternal consequences. That’s why the Bible says in Romans 1:12, “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (NCV).

That’s why you need a church family, and that’s why you need a small group. When Christians commit to each other, we encourage each other to stay on track and keep our other commitments. We help each other out!