Although Christians look forward to having joyful fellowship with each other one day in heaven, our relationships here on earth can often be anything but joyful. Someone has described it this way: "To live above with those we love—that will be grace and glory. To live below with those we know—now, that's a different story!"

Isolating ourselves from others doesn't resolve this problem. The one thing we all need, particularly when life is difficult, is fellowship with other believers. First John 1:3 says that Christian fellowship is "with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ," but it's also with each other.

We need more than our private "Jesus and me" fellowship, as fundamental as that is. God also made us for a "Jesus and we" fellowship. Reuben Welch wrote, "Christians are not brought together because they like each other, but because they share a common life in Jesus and are . . . learning how to love each other as members of the family."

How can this deeper love become a reality? We must walk in God's light (v.7), be honest about our sins (v.8), and confess them to God for forgiveness and cleansing (v.9).

If we are to grow more Christlike and learn to love, we need one another.  — Joanie Yoder