Friends in the Gospel

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." -Proverbs 17:17

Friendships are something to be cherished - whether between family members or those outside of your immediate family, each person that you have a friendly relationship with has the potential to be one of the ways that the Lord enriches your life and prepares you for the work that He has for you. I don't know about you, but I find simple acts of friendship, not only from friends, but from family, and, even, at times, strangers, to be the moments that I most appreciate in life.

But what makes a friend? 

Friends usually have common ground between them. The more similarities that you have with someone, the more likely you are to get to know them more and have a mutual sympathy that builds up that relationship. Maybe it's your love of an underrated book or errily similar life goals, but you probably first talked about something that made you think, "wow, this is neat, I'd like to get to know them more!" before you actually became friends with this person. Sometimes the common ground may simply be your age, and that you feel like you can relate to the stage of life that the other is in. There are also many similarities, in tastes or situations, that can be shared between different age groups as well, and there is a lot to be gained in that difference in perspective that you each will be able to bring! But as a Christian, we have a common ground that "glues" us to other believers that others do not have. 

One of my favorite parts of the letters of Paul is the wonderful greetings he includes in each letter... greetings like, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." -Philippians 1:3-5

"Because of your partnership in the gospel". I love the story of how God used Paul. I love the personality we get from his writings, inspired by God, but also very much a part of who he was himself. Paul was eager for the truth, was not afraid of holding unpopular opinions, was firm to hold all believers to the path of righteousness... but Paul had an abiding love for people. He preached to the unsaved because he cared for them; he shepherded the church because he loved them. He literally wrote letters to people he had never met before that demonstrated a deep love and concern for them. And in the age before the ability to converse together freely and get to know each other through texts and emails, what was it that made Paul love these people deeply? They were partners in the gospel. They were heirs to the kingdom together. They were all bonded with a common thread, a life changed by God through no work of their own. That was who they were - and it bonded them together whether they had met or not, because it bonded them together for eternity. 

And because they were living in, but not of, this world together, it gave them a unique sympathy and love for each other. It was the driving force behind their friendship, and it created a desire to "bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). By prayer. By exhortation. By example, rejoicing, weeping. By working together, serving together, serving each other, serving Christ. 

As Christians, we are not just privileged to uphold one another; we are commanded by scripture - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25) God did not make mankind to be alone; He planned from the very beginning that we would work together and serve together, love each other and sympathize with each other. And even though, in our sinful nature, we may have friendships that are not in that perfect order of using our gifts to serve God together, we have never stopped needing each other to exceed in many areas of our lives. But when God brings our heart back to it's intended state of friendship with Him, it also brings to our earthly friendships a greater purpose and meaning, one unique and joyful, by our partnership in this gospel.

So, as we look forward to our day of worship on the morrow, let's also look forward to our ability to edify other members of the body of Christ who join us in this worship. We are partners, friends, in the gospel, and we can serve Christ far better together than we can apart. 

Rejoicing in Hope,

Bri ❤