A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. – (Proverbs 17:17)
Just because they showed up doesn’t mean they’ve got your back. Judas attended every prayer meeting. – (Anonymous/Pinterest)
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I recently had the pleasure of giving a Keynote Address to a Men’s Retreat at our Church Camp in Gonzales. The theme for the weekend was Christian Friends: Wanted, Needed, Valued. In a nutshell, I shared how much I value my deep friendship with my buddy Rick; and how our friendship has its roots in a period of my life when I very much needed a Christan friend. Because of the way that Rick was then, and has faithfully continued to be, a source of strength and mutual accountability, I now value our friendship deeply.
In our fast-paced, digital world, it is easy to be “connected” to hundreds of people while remaining deeply alone. We can, for example, be lulled into a false sense of security because we have hundreds of “friends” on Facebook. However, as followers of Christ, we are called to a much different standard of relationship. Christ-like friendship is more than just shared interests or casual acquaintance; it is a sacred partnership designed by God to sharpen us, sustain us, and reflect His love to the world.
At the heart of every Christian friendship is the Great Commandment: to love God with all our heart and our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus took this a step further in John 13:34, giving us a “new commandment”: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This sacrificial, selfless love should always be bedrock on which our church community is built.
The Book of Proverbs offers much timeless wisdom on the power of our inner circle of friendship in Christ. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us that “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” True friends don’t just tell us what we want to hear; they push us toward holiness. Because we become like those we spend time with, Proverbs 13:20 urges to “walk with the wise and become wise.” A true, Christian friend loves at all times, and their reliability is a “stick-closer-than-a-brother” kind of bond (Proverbs 18:24).
Life is often heavy, and we weren’t meant to carry our burdens all by ourselves. The Apostle Paul instructs us in Galatians 6:1-2 to restore one another gently if someone stumbles and is caught in sin, adding: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
This “burden-bearing” takes many forms:
Encouragement: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Forgiveness: We must “bear with each other and forgive one another” just as the Lord forgave us (Colossians 3:13).
Vulnerability: There is healing when we “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” (James 5:16).
As we continue to do the discerning work of Lent, let’s ask ourselves: Are we being the kind of friend these Bible verses describe? Are we offering the “iron-sharpening” truth, the “burden-bearing” shoulder, mutual accountability and vulnerability, and the “Christ-like” forgiveness that our brothers and sisters need? Let us commit to moving beyond the surface and investing in the deep, transformative friendships that God has intended for His Church.
Peace,
Pastor Layne
Loving God, we thank you for the example of Jesus and for the gift of Christian Friendship that he inspires. Help us to be friends who sharpen, encourage, and forgive. May our love for one another be a testimony of your grace to the world. May we love one another as you and your Son love us. Amen.