"Friends are Friends Forever."

A song that lives in infamy at youth camps, but there are some truths in that song by Michael W. Smith. The Bible says this about friends:

"A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."
Proverbs 27:19 (TLB)

Our God is a relational God. After all, relationships are perfectly modeled within the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. And since we are all made in his image, we are innately relational creatures as well.

We all yearn to connect with other people, yet many people are so hungry for relationships, they’re so desperate to have someone in their lives, they latch on to anybody. And out of that desperation for real community, they ultimately choose the wrong friends.

Choosing friends isn’t something that should be done at the drop of a hat. You can’t hope to just fall into great friendships. Developing quality friendships is intentional, not accidental.

You’ve got to put some time and energy into finding great friends because toxic relationships will burn your time; they’ll drain your energy. But if you invest some serious time and energy into finding consistent and committed friends, those relationships will continue to reenergize your life.

The church gives us the best place to develop those quality relationships. The church is the context where our closest friendships should be played out. That’s where you can find people of character, commitment, and consistency.

Don't get me wrong, we need to befriend and be friends with those outside the church walls (after all, Jesus did). But if you are a Christ-follower, when it comes to our best of friends, who we do life with, whom we look to for guidance, counsel, truth and a listening ear, we need those friends in the church.

So take the initiative to plug into great relationships at the church. Don’t invest your time in the wrong people, instead connect with quality people of commitment and consistency who can help you achieve God’s will for your life.

Looking forward to sharing with you Sunday.


In His Grip,

Brett

P.S. Have you begun preparing your heart for Easter? Who are you going to bring with you on Easter Sunday?