Proverbs 27.8
“Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.”
People have a place, most notably a home with family members. To leave that place is as dangerous and foolhardy as a bird leaving its nest. This proverb is a warning to those who think that the “grass is greener on the other side.”
The “nest” is a metaphor for the place of safety and of security. For a bird to leave the nest is dangerous. The term used for this leaving is the word “stray” or “wander.” The bird is not flying from the nest for the purpose of hunting or finding food for itself and its young. This bird is just following its own curiosity wandering away from the nest to see what he can see.
When people leave the safety of the home, they become vulnerable. There is a word for birds who wander from their nests … prey! They become prey for those who are watching to see if they leave the protection and cover of the nest.
“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Proverbs 18.1)
The home — the nest — for the people of God is twofold: family and the fellowship. God designed us to be part of a family and part of a fellowship. We are physically born into a physical family, and we are spiritually born into the family of God. We are “at home” when we are faithfully and intimately connected to our families, and we are at home when we are faithfully and personally connected to the fellowship of believers.
The family that honors God is a place of safety and security. The same is true for the Christian fellowship. It is where we experience:
- Teaching and truth
- Worship and celebration
- Encouragement and support
- Correction and accountability
Relationships matter. It is God’s purpose and design that life in Christ be lived in the context of the Christian fellowship. When Jesus calls you, he calls you into a kingdom community. God’s eternal purpose through Jesus Christ is to create a unique fellowship of redeemed and transformed people who live and work in a manner that makes God and his kingdom known to a watching world.
Christianity is individual, but it is not individualistic. The Christian faith is about individual and corporate life in Christ. Scripture does not contemplate a Christian disconnected from the fellowship of the church. The church plays an essential role in the spiritual growth and effectiveness of every Christian, and every Christian plays an essential role in the spiritual growth and effectiveness of the church.
Keep in mind that the church is a people, not a place. It is a body, not a building. It is a fellowship, not a facility. While we often speak of “going to church” on Sunday, the reality is that the church is the supernatural fellowship of all who trust in Jesus.
Do not isolate yourself. Don’t be a lone ranger. Stay connected to the people of God. Stay connected to the fellowship.
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12.3-5)
