I am convinced that there is nothing better than friends along our journey to encourage, inspire and challenge one another to run our race well!
Friends to laugh with, cry with and believe in! We are always stronger together, louder together and over all better together!
Depressed and lonely people are everywhere—even in the church—and heartfelt friendships are becoming as scarce as hen’s teeth. Many of us have an abundance of only shallow, “smile and wave” acquaintances. We can have “friends” on Facebook, chat room buddies, and text messaging conversations—but none of it is real communication. The words are there, but the deeper meaning and intimacy are lost. And we carry a void in our hearts that can only be filled by deep, authentic relationships with God and others.
In Matthew 22:36-40, someone asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered that the law and the prophets hang on two commandments: loving God and loving your neighbour. We all have a longing for belonging because God has wired us for relationship.
We all need friends. We need people in our lives who will love us where we are and help us get to a place of higher living. We need friends that will hold us accountable to God’s standards—friends that sharpen us.
The Bible makes a compelling point about this type of friendship. “As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.” (Proverbs 27:17)
Take time to consider your friendships today. Do you have any friends who sharpen you, challenge you? Who make you wiser and better? Is there anyone in your life who asks you tough questions, shares godly truths, and confronts you when you need to be confronted? Do you laugh together, believe in each other, cry together, and simply just hang-out together? If so, thank God for them. Purpose to connect and do life regularly with them.
Are you that friend to anyone? Do you long to have deeper friendships? If you find yourself in a wide pool of shallow friendships, I’d encourage you to pray about it. Pray that God would bring meaningful friendships to your life and that He would teach you what it looks like to be a good, godly friend.
Always be ready to be inclusive, don’t limit your circle of friends. Each one of us has something that will inspire, encourage, and bring hope to another.
We all were once on the outer circle, and someone reached out to us… lets continue to remember we are better together and here to cheer and encourage each other on.
I am fully convinced that we feel so much more complete and satisfied with life when we have friends who encourage, inspire and challenge us to run our race well!
Friends to laugh with, cry with and believe in! We are always stronger together, louder together and over all better together!