Thank You For Being a Friend

I have been attending church regularly since I got saved back in 1989. I love church. I love the people who are the church. I love pastoring a church. At a meeting last night, someone mentioned the fact that they had very few friends outside of our church. That really resonated with me because that is absolutely the same for me. I had a very close circle of friends back in high school and those relationships continued for fifteen plus years afterward. However, after I left to go to seminary in Maine, those friendships faded with time and distance. Today, like the brother who spoke last night, all of my friendships are with those at South Church. Why is that?

Well, as brothers and sisters-in-Christ, we all have a common purpose and mission. To love one another as Christ loved us and to go and make disciples of all the nations. When you share common objectives like that there is a camaraderie that naturally develops. A similar thing happens among those who serve in the military. As the movie says, they become a “band of brothers.” Shared experiences. Shared goals. All these things deepen our relationship with one another.

It is not unusal. The Bible tells us a story about a day that some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to see Jesus. As the gospel of Matthew records it, “As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, ‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you.’ Jesus asked, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ Then he pointed to his disciples and said, ‘Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!’” (Matthew 12:46-50)

Of course Jesus loved His “Ima” (mom). One of the very last things He did before He died was to make sure she was taken care of and gave the apostle John the responsibility of caring for Mary from that point on. Of course, Jesus loves His siblings James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude as well as all of His sisters. They’re all listed in Matthew 13. I too love my Ima (mom) and dad, stepmom and my brothers too. Nevertheless, what Jesus is saying here is that there is something special, something unique about a brother or sister-in-Christ. It is a relationship like no other. It is said, “Blood is thicker than water.” I agree. Jesus’ blood binds believers together in a way nothing else can. If yours is also a family of faith, praise God! You are doubly blessed!  

However, if you are looking for some friends, I suggest joining a church. It is full of brothers and sisters-in-Christ just waiting to meet you.                

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Remember you can email praises and petitions to southchurchprayer@gmail.com. We lift them up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 4:00 pm on Facebook Live.

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