Colossians 3:16 - Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Do you have anyone with whom you can truly be yourself? Do you have someone you can talk to about anything, for hours on end? Community is important, and God wants us to find it with others.
The first 30 years of Jesus' life, we don’t know much, but we do know that when God told Him it was time to start His ministry, the first thing He did was find twelve men to follow Him so they could walk together.
Proverbs 27:17 reads, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."
When you find those whom you can be open, honest, and comfortable with, I believe those are the friends God has placed into your life because He wants us to have relationships that are true and pure.
John 15:12-17 says, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 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. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.”
We are to learn from Jesus and love as He loved. The disciples did not decide to be friends with Jesus; He called them to be friends. The status of their friendship is linked to a manner of living that honors their relationship with Jesus.
We may choose to meet Jesus, but He already chose us before we were even born. Once we accept the offer of the relationship that He offers, we then we are to honor and love Him.
As a mom, I want my kids to find friends they connect with in life and also in Christ. As I watch them grow older, I can see they are making choices about who they want to be linked with. So far, they have made some good friends.
Our kids observe who we, as parents, surround ourselves with, and that guides them in understanding the kind of people they should be in community with. I am thankful I have a few friends whom I can reach out to and walk through things with, and that they are followers of Christ as well. I know my kids see that and understand how important those relationships are. But more than that, they observe me as I build my relationship with God, and I hope that is what truly sticks with them and helps to guide them.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."
Know God, and surround yourself with those who will encourage you to grow in relationship with Him.