Faithful Friends
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. – Proverbs 17:17, NIV
These wise words from the Bible’s book of Proverbs capture the definition of a true friend: someone who sticks by even in challenging times. A genuine friend is like family and as valuable as a brother or a sister. They love unconditionally, exemplifying God’s love for us.
As Jesus cautions His disciples and very much applies to us today, part of life are the troubles that will inevitably come and result from our existence in a broken world.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33, NIV
Plainly put, life can get tough. Thankfully, God does not leave us to go through these troubles on our own. We, of course, have Christ to help us overcome the challenges of life; at the same time, we also have each other.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. – Romans 12:4-5, NLT
The body of Christ can be represented by a group of believers with whom we find ourselves in fellowship, where there can be an exchange of encouragement and support. It is where we can put into practice and simultaneously receive the manifestation of God’s love. Such communities, therefore, act as a means for God to provide the help we need as we navigate through life.
The value of being surrounded by believing friends only becomes more evident when we face times of trials and hardships. This shows that while God is very much a personal God who has a direct relationship with us, He also demonstrates His love for us through the relationship we have with other believers.
We all have our weaknesses, areas in our lives we struggle with and circumstances that bring us to a low point. We also have our strengths, areas we excel in, characteristics unique to us that reflect God’s goodness and gifts we can use to bless others.
That’s what makes the body of Christ such a beautifully divine concept. Whether at a physical church building, in a close-knit Christian community or a simple gathering of believers, God provides several means of being connected with a Christ-centred family. This is where we are more than likely to find our faithful friends.
Apostle Paul expresses the value of such friends in one of his letters to his fellow Thessalonian believers:
How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. Night and day, we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith. – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, NLT
We should also be grateful to God for such a strategically placed blessing. As a Father who desires the best for His children, God has put things in place to help us develop our sanctification in Christ. This is one of the intended designs of the body of Christ, a place where we can grow closer to God through the edification of each other. Here we can be held accountable in our striving to live according to God’s desire for our lives. Here, our faith can be strengthened, our hope in God continuously restored, and God’s love for us constantly demonstrated.
The Gospel books in the Bible are filled with many accounts of Jesus’ miracles as an act of compassion on people while proclaiming His authority as the Messiah sent by God. Some of these miracles were performed on individuals approaching Jesus, often in a place of desperation and need. We also see cases where it is the relatives or friends who approach Jesus on behalf of an individual needing a breakthrough. One such example is the story of a paralyzed man whose friends were determined to see him get a touch of healing from Jesus.
When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. – Mark 2:1-4, NLT
A crowd of people are desperate to see Jesus, and these four men are also desperate to see Jesus on behalf of their friend. The determination of these four men leads them to make a way through the roof of the house. Even with these bold measures, there was no guarantee they would be successful. However, the sympathetic Jesus does acknowledge their faithful actions, which literally lifted the paralyzed man to a place of healing.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”- Mark 2:5, NLT
We should bear in mind that the four men did not approach Jesus for their own miracle. Like the crowd of people surrounding the house, the men are aware of the miracles Jesus has done for others. Yet they chose to selflessly give the opportunity to meet Jesus to their friend who had a greater need than them. They chose to take the drastic measures necessary just to give their friend a chance to be healed by the one whom they believed had the power to do so.We are called to “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NLT). And these four men show us an example, assembling in agreement, literally carrying the weight of their friend and bringing him to a position of healing.
May this remind us that regardless of hard seasons, circumstances or whatever life brings, God has not left us to go through it by ourselves. Such faithful friends are those God has surrounded us with to bring each other closer to Jesus. We each have the ability to build each other’s faith and remind ourselves of God’s goodness. Just like the paralyzed man was brought to a position of healing by his friends, God can also use our faithful friends to help us navigate the necessary steps we need so we are led, or carried if necessary, to the feet of Jesus, who is more than capable of meeting our needs.
Therefore, as His children, God blesses us with a community of godly friends as an extension of His love for us. God’s love is unlimited and portrayed in many forms, and this love is also expressed through the people He’s placed in our lives.
However, our faithful friends are not just the ones we can see face-to-face. We are also united with faithful friends of the past through the scriptures. God has left us through His Word with many role models of faith that continue to provide timeless encouragement.
For example, the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, contains summaries of several biblical figures highlighted due to their acts of faith. From Abraham’s absolute trust in God’s plan in a foreign land to Moses’ allegiance to God’s people leading to the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt, the scriptures are filled with many accounts of faithful heroes.
Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6, NIV). From the friends in Christ we have in our present lives, to past crowds of witnesses to the life of faith made available through God’s Word, we have no lack when it comes to the many sources that God uses to build up our faith and to live a life that pleases Him.
Which brings us to the best illustration of the most faithful friend we can ever ask for: Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith (Hebrews 12:2, NLT). Jesus is the always-present friend, the one who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24, ESV). During His earthly ministry, Jesus expressed love for His disciples in many forms, as their Lord and Master, and also by calling them His friends.
There is no greater love than 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 slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. – John 15:13-15, NLT
This demonstrates an all-encompassing love exhibiting both His love as a personal Saviour and as a friend, who loved them so much He was willing to give up His life for their sake. As His present-day followers, we also inherit the same privileges as His disciples. Jesus welcomes us as His friends, and as He loves us, we should be willing to love each other in the same way.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. – 1 John 3:16, NLT
In conclusion, God places us amongst our family of believers for a very intentional purpose, which we should recognise, appreciate and receive the blessings of.
Here we can encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV). It is where we can be intentional about loving one another with brotherly affection and outdoing one another in showing honour (Romans 12:10, ESV). It is a place to be sharpened by our friends, just as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17, NLT). The body of Christ is a place for celebration, to rejoice with those who rejoice; whilst also being a place for comfort, to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15, ESV). Here we can stand firm on the truth of God’s Word, pray together and be in agreement as followers of Christ, knowing that when we gather in Jesus’ name, He is there amongst us (Matthew 18:19-20, NIV).
We can thank God, who has provided His children with a divine support system. Whether in times of rejoicing or times of hardship, the body of Christ is a place to be loved and to practice love at all times. From the people we assemble in fellowship with at our churches and communities, to the faithful friends of the past we receive continuous inspiration from in the scriptures, to Jesus, the perfect example of the best friend we could ever ask for. We can receive support from the faithful friends God has surrounded us with and, in turn, be a faithful friend.
In this beautiful circle of love, originating from Jesus’ own perfect love, we can make it our commission to love each other the same way He loves us.
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. – John 15:12, NLT
