Christian friendship

Xanthe Galanis

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

I need friends in my life. I don’t just mean friends with whom to watch the rugby or go shoe shopping, but friends who love me enough to share what God is doing in their lives.  I need friends who encourage me and who are willing to correct me.  I need friends who will help me grow to be more like Christ.

I think this is what the writer of Hebrews was referring to in this verse.  As a part of the body of Christ, we are called to grow into his likeness, through his Spirit’s enabling, as well as build up and support each other in the body. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:16: From him [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. God has not called us to run this race alone, but he has graciously given us the Body to provide encouragement, support, care and even correction at times.

God has given us many examples of Christian friendship in his Word, and over the next month we'll be looking more closely at the lives of people like Naomi and Ruth, Jonathan and David, Deborah and Jael, and what they can teach about genuine friendship in a world where you can 'unfriend' someone simply by clicking a button.

 Prayer: Thank you for my Christian friends Lord. Help me to learn from the writer of Hebrews and consider how I can motivate my friends and point them to God, and how I can encourage them with the glorious hope found in the gospel of Christ.  Amen.