Vital signs- Wednesday, July 15th,2029
All followers of Christ , single or married, need to have the right companions in life. The Bible tells us that who we fellowship within our Christian journey is important. Look at your life and answer these questions. Who do you eat meals with? Who do you hang out with? Who do you share your secrets with? Whose advice do you listen to?
Such people are your companions. These people influence you whether you admit it or not. You reflect on the people you spend time with. That is why you want to walk through life with people who love the Lord. You want to be friends with people who are pursuing the Kingdom of God and God’s holiness. In the same way that the Bible warns us about the danger of bad friendships, there are many Scriptures that tell us how important godly friends are. The book of Proverbs says that there are friends that love even more than one’s own siblings.
The book of Ecclesiastes gives a beautiful poetic description of friendship. It says that two people are better than one because they can have a good reward in each other’s relationship. A friend can lift the other one up when a person falls down. This Scripture concludes that it is a tragedy in life when someone does not have a friend to lift them up when they fall. That is why the New Testament encourages us to have godly friendships. In fact, Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another. He says that it is by our love that the world around us will know that we are Christians.
How do we express the love of Christ for our friends? The New Testament is full of “one another” Scriptures because caring for others is the essence of Christianity. First, we need to think of others as better than ourselves and look out for their interests. We need to be kind and compassionate to one another. The Scripture tells us to pray for each other as well as to help each other materially. In fact, the Bible says that we need to carry each other’s burdens.
Jesus knew that life in this world can be hard. That is why He instructed His disciples to build godly friendships. Christian friends will help you lift the burdens of life together. This will lighten your load. Godly friends will encourage you. Such friendships will saturate your life with hope.
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 18:24 NKJV