Impactful Friendships

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" (Psalms 133:1 NIV) I've come to understand something as a Christian over the years: friendships are either what make us or what break us when it comes to personal development, joy, and peace. We need to be surrounded by people who will be helpful to us both spiritually and temporally. Finding true friendships that are based on God, with whom you can vent, and who honestly want the best for us is exceedingly challenging in these final days. How crucially good connections can affect my life in all its facets should now be your inquiry. What impact am I having on my friend's life is another question to ask oneself.

According to research, friendship is a relationship between two people marked by long-lasting love, esteem, intimacy, and trust. Throughout a person's life, friendships are crucial connections in all cultures. As Christians, we will experience many trials and tribulations, and there will be times when we will need someone to fight our battles alongside us via prayer and fasting. There will also be occasions when words of encouragement will act as a weapon for strength and revival in our lives. The people we choose to surround ourselves with must be able to contribute to the relationship that we have with them. One of the most crucial things we need to understand about the life of Jesus is that he surrounded himself with twelve people he could call his friends, of whom three—Peter, James, and John—were always by his side, according to what the Bible says. Of the three, the apostle John had a closer relationship with Jesus and referred to himself as "the one that Jesus loved." "When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son." (John 19:26 KJV) In his hour of suffering, Jesus spoke about the welfare of his mother, but he knew he had a friend who could now shoulder the burden he formerly bore. He felt secure knowing that his friend John, the person he loved, was present at that time. This illustrates the value of friendship. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13) Ancient friendships placed a high value on loyalty and the sharing of secrets. According to the Greeks, the ultimate act of loyalty was to die for a friend. It's crucial to understand that the people you choose to be in your life must be receptive to hearing the deeper ideas that you find difficult to express in public. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16 KJV) James exhorts us to confess our sins to one another and to pray for one another. However, I believe that it has become more challenging for Christians to surround themselves with friends whom they can openly discuss their struggles. Yes, there are some things that they may confess to, but there are also other battles that they may be fighting that can be resolved by telling a friend and receiving additional prayer from that friend. I want you to see the significance of having a close companion who is not just a Christian but also upright and follows God's precepts. The Bible teaches that having such a friend can have a positive impact. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." A friend who prays for you is a good friend, but the kind of friend we need in our lives is one who walks righteously in Christ. When we stray from God's purpose, that friend will help us get back on track. You ought to be that righteous friend whose passionate prayers will be successful for deliverance, healing, and protection when someone you know needs a shoulder to cry on because their life is in disarray.

"Above all things, have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8 AMPC) Good friendships are built on love, which is something that is lacking in the modern church. This lack of genuine love for each other leads us to believe that we can survive without genuine love for one another, but the truth is that without love, you are none of his. Our adversary is aware that when we are in love, we are unstoppable; when we are in love, we are united; and when we are in love, we are saved. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John3:16 KJV) We didn't deserve it, but even before you and I were born, he intervened out of love for us, bringing us to this day and offering us hope that, if we would just put our faith in him, we would not perish but have eternal life. Everyone who reads this site has committed a sin or fallen short of a standard; you all have thought or done something against someone that you shouldn't have. However, sincere love will always compel you to make amends or apologize. Be aware that conflicts and disagreements will occur. As Christians, it is only normal to disagree with one another. However, instead of letting our adversary take advantage of this and drive us apart, we must be able to set our pride aside in order to put things right when they go wrong and, if necessary, to become venerable. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matthew 5:23–24 KJV) Jesus stresses the significance of maintaining interpersonal harmony. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we desperately need revival and, despite our sincere prayers and supplications, we are unable to obtain what we want because some reconciliations still need to be accomplished. For the power of God to be seen in the modern church, we can fast and pray every day, but things first need to be right between us. "Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV) Who we associate with can gradually change who we are; staying with people of negative character is toxic.

Inconclusion, I’d like you to ask yourself these four questions:

1.       Have I had an influence on my friends' spiritual lives?

 

2.       What effects have my close companions had on my spiritual life?

 

3.       How many of my friendships need to be reconciled?

 

4.       How can I make a difference in my friends' lives?

 

I am extremely appreciative of your answers, and I wish that peace and love may be multiplied in your life. I hope that my blog will inspire, be helpful, and lead to a spiritual awakening for people who read it.

An Anchor For My Soul

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19 NIV)

Recently, as I was fasting, the lyrics to a song by Joseph Spence kept playing in my thoughts. "In times like these, we need a Savior." In times like these, we need an anchor. Be very sure. Be very sure. Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. In singing this song to myself, I was convicted and inspired to express my thoughts about our anchor, which is Jesus, in a time when we desperately need a savior. We have an anchor that holds when everything around us is chaos. We have an anchor when principalities and darkness are approaching as if it were a thunderous storm. We have an anchor. I'm motivated to reassure you that you have an anchor in case your ship rocks. "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12 KJV) rejoicing in expectation that your anchor will hold, which makes it possible for you to be patient in affliction.

We must be extremely certain of our anchor in times like these and if it is holding. We must be aware that we are living in a period in which there are many false anchors that can't keep us from being easily wrecked when a storm comes through. When life is chaotic, when the enemy is pressuring us to flee from the truth, when our flesh is sapping the desire of our spirit, then we must stand our ground. The anchor must hold. We will face challenges as we grow in faith because God places us in circumstances where He can reveal himself to us, but I've come to the realization that right now, one of our most challenging circumstances is letting God lead us in everything we do. It can be challenging for some Christians to comprehend that God is their anchor, so it will be challenging for some of us to simply let God guide us through this life. "A person's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?" (Proverbs 20:24 KJV) The fact of the matter is that we don’t even understand our own way. God is simply the potter, and we are the clay. The definition of pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Therefore, God, the master potter, merely employs a process to shape us into vessels of honor. We became something from nothing because of him, and he subjected us to high temperatures of trials, tribulations, and sufferings to give us the finished product. Now that our potter has already molded us from the ground up to be able to bear all burning trials and endure any false teaching, boasters, false prophets, or unholiness, our faith in him must grow in difficult times. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105 KJV) The elegance of our anchor, He provided us with a manual to serve as a guide in the shape of the Bible because he anticipated that we would require it before he created us. Scriptures cannot be changed, the truth cannot be concealed, and the word of God is the truth. If we want to let the word guide us, we must love the truth. When we feel as though we are straying from the word, we should return to its boundaries. I had the realization that the Bible is the rock that our anchor clings to since it has the solutions to all of life's problems. In conclusion, I'll just say that in order for the power of God to be seen in our church and in our lives, we must be absolutely certain that our anchor holds and that we are clinging to the solid rock, making sure that our lives are pleasing to God.

I pray that reading this blog will in some way shape or form have a beneficial effect on your life. I'm very appreciative of everyone who has taken the time to view it. I would really appreciate it if everyone would leave a comment and follow. All praise be to God, who will continue to be my compass.