Thoughts on Family Affection (Morph study-Week 7)

"Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ. What does this mean? It means, first, that a Christian needs others because of Jesus Christ. It means, second, that a Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ. It means, third, that in Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity" (Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer).
I feel like all too often as Christians we try to get through life on our own without any support from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. One thing that lately I have been convicted of is being more honest with people when they ask how I'm doing, because my tendency is too lie and say "Oh I'm doing good; everything's fine" when in reality there are things in my life that are not good or fine. As Christians we should be able to freely and openly share our lives with each other without feeling like we're going to be looked down upon, because most likely there is someone that is going through or has gone through and will be able to help us, pray for us, encourage us, and get into God's Word together. Being in community with other Christians means doing live together through the good times and the bad times, praying for each other, building one another up in Christ.That is basically what Christian fellowship (koinoia) is all about:sharing our successes, failures, and struggles with each other and not being ashamed or afraid that anyone is going to look down on us for the failures and struggles that we are going through.
Just being with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ can benefit us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it this way in "Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community":

The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32)