'Are there fellow Christians in your life who you are confident, and rightly so, that they are aware of the major areas of spiritual difficulty and temptation in your life, and you are willing to discuss these areas with them in ways that are open and helpful? After more than two decades in ministry, I have to say with sadness that unless you are part of a very small minority among Christians in this culture, your honest answer is probably no.
Could the fact that you are still hiding explain why there are struggles you can't seem to get consistently under control? Are you still holding onto the belief that you really do know yourself better than anyone else? Are you still imagining that you are wiser, more sanctified, and more spiritually stronger than you actually are?
It's time to face the fact that you walk with God is a community project. It is time to come out of hiding. The Christians around you struggle just like you, and the God who is your hope is not surprised by your struggle or theirs. He knows every challenge and temptation of your heart. That's why he sent his Son to live, die, and rise again.
Step out of where you are hiding and into the kind of community that Scripture says you need. Where will you find that intentionally intrusive, Christ-centred, grace-driven, redemptive community?
You're not designed to live without it. Life in this broken-down house really is a community project.'
Paul David Tripp, Broken-Down House, p.161.
