Living Life Together - The One Year Love Talk Devotional for Couples
Living life together
If we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other.
1 John 1:7
“Listen to this,” Les said. He was reading an article in Wired magazine. “‘Despite all we’ve learned over the past few decades about psychology, neurology, and human behavior, contemporary medicine has yet to devise anything that works markedly better.’”a
“What’s it talking about?” I asked.
Les went on to tell me that according to the article, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of people recover from alcohol addiction, but nobody really knows why. The one factor that seemed to offer a compelling reason for AA’s success is “the power of like-minded friends who provide support, honesty, and accountability.” The article described how sharing problems with a small group of supportive friends has been shown to help people overcome what they’re struggling with.
Now, we’re not experts on AA and its success rates, but we do know a thing or two about the power of a small group. We joined our first small group as a couple less than a month into our new marriage. And we’ve been in small groups of one kind or another ever since. There is something almost inexplicable about the collective power of community. When people “do life together,” they seem to do life better.
You don’t have to be in AA to benefit from this supportive power. You don’t even have to be struggling with a problem. Starting a small group with other couples can have no other purpose than fellowship or friendship. A weekly or monthly meeting where you simply share what’s been on your mind—and listen to what others are sharing from their lives—can help you gain clarity, a new perspective, and fresh insight into everything from finances to in-laws.
The question we have for you today is about starting a small group with other couples. If you’re already a part of one, you may have experienced the benefits of this time-tested endeavor. But if you’re not, we urge you to give it serious consideration. It’s easier than you think. Just make a list of a few couples you’d enjoy gathering with on a regular basis. Ask them what they think of the idea, and you’ll be on your way—living life together—sooner than you think.
The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community.
—William James
a Brendan I. Kroerner, “Secret of AA: After 75 Years, We Don’t Know How It Works,” Wired, June 23, 2010.
The One Year Love Talk Devotional for Couples
By Dr. Les Parrott and Dr. Leslie Parrott
Tyndale
$7.99
