Spiritual Fellowship: An Essential Vitamin
Without fellowship, weakness and discouragement can set in, just as surely as a vitamin deficiency affects the body over time.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about one billion people worldwide are deficient in Vitamin D. This deficiency weakens bone and muscle health and often leads to low mood and fatigue. However, with simple changes in diet and everyday habits, it is preventable and treatable.
In a similar way, we can neglect another essential “vitamin” needed to support and maintain our spiritual health: fellowship. When it’s lacking, we too can experience discouragement and spiritual fatigue over time.
Let’s explore why fellowship is so vital, how the Bible highlights its benefits, and practical ways to strengthen it in our daily lives.
Identifying Obstacles
Meeting together is not always convenient. Hundreds of members live far away from their congregation, requiring hours of driving each Sabbath. Others face financial struggles that make it difficult to travel. Personal hardships such as illness, exhaustion, caregiving responsibilities, or the weight of ongoing trials can discourage us from making a consistent effort to see one another.
Yet while these obstacles are real, they don’t lessen the importance of fellowship. Just as a body still needs nourishment when appetite is low, our spiritual lives still require the “nutrient” of fellowship to stay strong. Without it, weakness and discouragement can set in, just as surely as a vitamin deficiency affects the body over time.
However, we were not meant to be alone for extended periods. Prolonged isolation can harm our mental, physical, and most importantly, our spiritual health. God designed us to be social, and that design is for our great benefit.
Fellowship provides comfort, consolation, joy, and at times, honest feedback and correction. In James 5:13–16 we read, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him… Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Even when we do not feel like congregating and meeting together due to inconvenience or lowliness of spirit, God has placed us within a spiritual family. Fellowship is one of the essential nutrients He provides to sustain our healing, growth and endurance.
Ways to Practice Fellowship
Just as there are many ways to nourish the body, there are countless ways to cultivate fellowship. Every member has unique circumstances and abilities, but sometimes we need a few practical ideas to help us get started. By intentionally connecting with one another, we can strengthen our spiritual health and share the “nutrients” of encouragement, support and joy.
One of the easiest and most fulfilling ways to fellowship is through acts of service. This might include helping out in the kitchen or stacking chairs after church. It could also mean paying a visit to those who are ill or otherwise unable to make it to services. Writing letters of encouragement is another thoughtful way to connect, especially for members who cannot physically attend at a Feast site. Each act of service nourishes both the giver and the recipient, strengthening the bonds that sustain our spiritual health.
Additionally, each one of us has God-given gifts and talents to contribute to the Body of Christ. Perhaps you’re an especially good listener, a skilled cook or one who enjoys singing in the choir. Maybe you love entertaining and hosting or simply want the opportunity to learn and grow alongside others. Every contribution, big or small, nourishes our Church family, strengthens relationships and helps us build spiritual “muscle” along the way.
Why Do We Need it?
1 Corinthians 12:18-20 reminds us that “God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.”
Fellowship is an essential vitamin for our spiritual lives—it sustains us, encourages us and keeps us standing strong together. It strengthens the “bones” of the spiritual body and revitalizes each limb so that we can function in harmony. And in tough times, it provides support to any part that may need an extra boost of encouragement.
Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to “Consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The Feast of Tabernacles beautifully exemplifies the wonderful opportunity to reap the full benefits of fellowship in a short period. But it’s just as essential to continue to congregate and meet together in the weeks and months that follow, keeping that momentum and unity strong throughout the year.
In all seasons, let’s not neglect to take the essential vitamin of fellowship.
If you feel like you’re facing challenges alone, please know that we’re here to help. We’d like to offer guidance and encouragement. You can contact the Light of Hope Helpline at (888) 241-6211 or email us at hope@ucg.org.
This confidential resource, provided by the United Church of God, connects individuals with licensed mental health professionals within the Church who are ready to offer support and help you find constructive, godly ways to address your challenges.
