Read Philippians 2:1

 It is only when I share life's experiences with others that I can enjoy them or endure them to the greatest advantage. 

This is what the early Christians did. They learned quickly that survival would go hand in hand with "fellowship."

You see, having a relationship calls for being in fellowship with others, and that cannot be done very easily at arm's length. It implies getting in touch, feeling the hurts, being an instrument of encouragement and healing. 

Fences must come down. 

Masks need to come off. 

Welcome signs need to be hung outside the door. 

Keys to the locks in our lives must be duplicated and distributed. 

Bridges need to be lowered that allow others to cross the moat and then share our joys and our sorrows.

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.