Building friendships that last

Building friendships that last

Source: Dr Michael Yousef

In today's fast-moving culture, millions of hearts are filled with loneliness. The inability to make friends and to keep friends has become a modern-day pandemic. Even for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ — people who know that their friendships are for eternity — nurturing eternal friendships has become a lost art.

After He created man, God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18, NIV). God created us for deep friendships. And if we really understood what eternal friendships were all about, then we would cherish and value eternal friendships among our fellow believers.

To understand the depth of eternal friendships among Christians, you have to understand that these friendships must begin through a strong relationship with the one true friend — Jesus Christ. The Bible talks about Christ as the friend who sticks to you closer than a brother (see Proverbs 18:24). Without knowing Him as your friend, life would be empty and frightening. Without knowing Him as your friend, loneliness would dry up the joy that comes from eternal friendships.

So the key to eternal friendships is in knowing Jesus Christ as your friend — and once you have made that step, there are four additional principles to help you to build friendships that last.

1. Lose your timidity. Someone told me once that he was intimidated by the thought of forming close friendships with Christians — and that he was particularly uncomfortable in Bible study groups. I said, "Well, what are you intimidated about?" He said, "The thought that they might ask me to pray in public. I have never done that, and I don't want to do that. Or they might test my biblical knowledge." And I said, "My friend, when you understand that eternal friendship is not built on embarrassing one another, you will give up this feeling of being intimidated."

2.Eternal friendship must be based on a joint desire to obey the Word of God. Look at John 15:14. Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do what I command" (NIV). The one common thing among eternal friends is a collective agreement that you have one desire in heart, mind, and soul — and that is to obey Christ. When you're together in friendship with other believers, it is much easier to obey Christ. It is much easier to be encouraged by one another. Eternal friendships are supposed to empower us to encourage one another, to uplift one another. When I'm down, you lift me up. When you're down, I lift you up — because one of the primary principles of eternal friendships is obedience to Jesus.

3. Eternal friendship must lead to intimacy. Listen to what Jesus said: "I no longer call you servants. ... Instead, I have called you friends" (John 15:15, NIV). When you have come to Jesus Christ and surrendered your life to Him, He has already said, "You're my friend. No longer do I call you servant." He meant, "I do not consider you as slaves; I'm calling you to be friends. And when you know Me as a friend, you're going to obey Me. And then even obedience will become easier for you." Developing eternal friendships is very empowering for us in our obedience and in our love for Jesus Christ.

4. You initiate friendship. Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16, NIV). What does Jesus mean? Don't wait for someone else to initiate the friendship by reaching out to you; rather, you initiate love. You initiate inviting. You initiate calling. You initiate welcoming. When Jesus called us friends, He initiated things by choosing us. And so He's saying, "You do the same. You do the initiating. Follow My example. You should become vulnerable for My sake."

That's what building eternal friendships is all about. It's not about embarrassing you or testing your biblical knowledge. It's about iron sharpening iron (see Proverbs 27:17). It's about lifting up one another and each other's burdens. It's about helping one another to accomplish God's plans for our individual lives. It's about better impacting your workplace, your neighbourhood, and your family for Christ.

Useful link: www.leadingtheway.org