Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 1 Peter 1:22

Friend: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection

acquaintance; buddy; pal;

I have a ton of aquaintances. According to social media, I have 844 ‘friends’. I say ‘hi’ to many people in town who are familiar, and who seem to know me, but I can’t remember their name. But, my church friends, they’re special. They understand the most important part of me. They understand what it means to love and be loved by our Savior. They know the one to whom I sing praises all day long. run to in times of trouble, and depend on for every need. A brother or sister in Christ will be there for you in your darkest hour, quick to drop everything and come to your side, and will pray for you without knowing the details of your need. There are other friends who mean very much to me, but my brothers and sisters in Christ will always top the list.

Saturday was a good day. Our church family pulled together to create a drive-through nativity. As the appointed date approached, the weather was less than ideal, and as a result we didn’t put up any of the scenes until just a few hours before the event was to take place. We arrived and worked in a cold drizzling rain. Not exactly the best conditions, but the day was full of fun, laughter, and good natured teasing. We got the job done quickly and enjoyed ourselves while doing it. As the evening progressed, everything fell into place and people were where they needed to be. The kids had a ball, taking every opportunity to pet and nuzzle our rented animals, the church family worked like a finely tuned machine, everyone jumping in eagerly to help wherever it was needed.

Even within our church family, there are those with whom I’m more comfortable talking about deep spiritual matters. And for me, that’s a new thing. I tend to like to have fun, and enjoy myself… Opening up and sharing my deepest worries and fears, that’s new for me, even at my age. I remember telling my pastor over and over that I didn’t need to share my needs with the church, that I’d take it to ‘his boss’ But, oh how wrong I was! In the last little while, I’ve experienced the true joy of sharing those deep needs and worries and thoughts with others. I’ve learned that we don’t have to always project a perfect life, we don’t always have to pretend like we’ve got it all together, we can allow others to lift us up before a loving Father when we’re suffering. It doesn’t need to be a life or death worry before I take it to my church family. It can be, “Hey, life’s a little stressful right now, please add me to your prayer list.” It’s also good to let a brother or sister know that you’re praying for them. It’s amazing the difference it can make to get a text that says, “Hey, I know you’re super busy today, I’ve been praying for you.”

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 6:16

Another way we can lift each other up is to share what we’re learning about God. I love our Wednesday Night studies, because we are free to comment and be involved. It makes me a little sad that more people don’t come because I think the study would be so much better with more opinions, more comments, and more insight from fellow church members. I think it behooves us to do what we can to help our brothers and sisters grow, and that means being involved in every way possible in our church life. I have a few friends who share their morning devotionals with me on occasion. It’s nice to get a text with a verse and an explanation of why it meant so much to them that day. There have been days that I’ve felt like those messages came straight from God, they were so appropriate for something I was going through.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Have you really learned to appreciate that gift of Godly friendship? I know I didn’t for a long time. In fact, my church family were the last people I wanted to know my struggles. But, what I found was that once I put them out there, they were received with grace and I felt more accepted and loved than I ever did when I was hiding my faults away behind a facade of perfection. I am a sinner, I mess up. But, I know the One who has covered my sins with His blood. When I let my guard down and let my church family in, it made a huge difference. They are who I want to spend time with, they’re who I enjoy, they’re quick to counsel me if I deserve it, and even faster to my aid when I’m in need. If you aren’t enjoying the benefits of walking closely with your church family, give it a try, I’m sure you’ll find the same joy I have.