Have you given up on your New Year’s resolutions yet? Few make it to this third week of January, eventhough experts say it takes 21 days to develop a new habit. And it helps to have a friend or partner to encourage the new practice. That’s why support groups and twelve-step addiction recovery programs are helpful to people seeking to make a change. There is strength and wisdom in joining with others who will encourage and hold us accountable. This is true for our faith journeys, as well. But this practice of thriving with group accountability and encouragement has faded from modern Christianity. Many who love Jesus strive to follow him and grow in faith all on their own. The Bible has something different to say. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”
