Relationships, friendships, fellowships…

I’ve been doing some bible studies lately that have had me really thinking about relationships. My relationship with God, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with my children, my relationship with my family, and my relationship with friends.
  
“When we consider the blessings of God—the gifts that add beauty and joy to our lives, that enable us to keep going through stretches of boredom and even suffering ~ friendship is very near the top."   —Donald W. McCullough, Mastering Personal Growth

In trying to deepen the relationship that I have with my holy father, I have been having to take a look and reassess things in all other aspects of my life. Am I truly being obedient to him? Am I truly doing what he has called me to do? And am I truly being the person he has called me to be?

There are so many things about myself that I know needs work ~ am I doing all that I need to do and all that he is asking me to? One thing that I keep coming to is “FRIENDSHIP”.. Am I being the kind of friend that others deserve? Am I fulfilling the duty of a friend and being the support that others need?

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need ~
Proverbs 17:17

I try and follow the motto of “to have a friend, you have to be a friend”. Sometimes this is easier said than done. I hope that I have learned the true value of friendship, and have every intention of being a good friend to others and show genuine love and concern. But I can’t be a friend to someone who does not want to be a friend with me.

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. ~  Proverbs 18:24

A lot of  relationships that I have once thought of as “friendships” have been and are in reality only “acquaintances ”.  And to nourish a relationship with God, a  true “friendship” with like minded Christian friends must also be found and maintained.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ~ John 15:12-15

Christian fellowship, (being with and interacting with other Christians), is often confused with deeper friendship. We all need  deeper friends to share our problems and desires with. but “Fellowship”, is often not enough. Churches need to breed an atmosphere that encourages and allows deeper friendship. As a church seeks to be truly unified in attitude and purpose, the church social activities can bring the opportunity for those needing friends. Such activities can also bring more unity within the fellowship of the church which makes praying for others and sharing with others easier because of a genuine care, concern, and love for others that only comes from sincere friendship.

“True friendship”, the type that encourages Christian spiritual growth and human fulfilment,  and allows all people concerned to be “free” to “be themselves”. With true friends, the confidence to be “accepted as we are”, is always there. To me this doesn’t mean that we will share every deep personal concern or problem, but to have a trust that you have some special friends ~ that you know well enough ~ that you can share everything with them, is truly an ordination and gift from God. I have learned that in some areas of life and opinions, I am different  from others in my outlook and I have learned that it is better to keep silent on certain subjects. Nevertheless, I hope to be recognized and respected by that person as the valuable individual that God has made me to be. And I hope to continue to grow and mature in my relationship with God and to nourish and treasure my friendships here on earth…

God Bless ~