Friendship

Friendship is one of the coolest relationships. One that I have done my fair share of taking for granted. I was lucky to have most of my close friends from elementary school last until my adult life. When I moved and they moved I realized that I haven’t forged a new friendship for many moons. I wasn’t even really sure how to. I mean, do you just go up to a gal and ask for her number? It all felt very uncomfortable and difficult. My friendships growing up never seemed to take this much thought. As I met some ladies in my new town I think I learned some very valuable lessons about friendship.

1. Friendship is needed
   1. Friendship is an aspect of community that we as humans naturally crave. God speaks to the importance of friendship through His word in the book Ecclesiastes, chapter 4, verses 9 through 12 it says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
   2. We are more effective in this kind of community, we can hold each other up, pick each other up, support one another and promote life.
2. It can be really difficult to make new friends. 
   1. I’m not saying this is a walk in the park. For almost the first year of living in my new state I made zero new friends. I was dealing with identity and jealousy issues, not to mention just being intimidated by the whole idea of inviting myself into someone’s life. But here is the secret…
3. Others need friendship just as much as we do. 
   1. You and I are not the only two human beings that need friendship. So does… I don’t know, Every Other Human Being on Earth. So we have a pretty great group to choose from. Loneliness is real for everyone. 
   2. Think about what you wish someone would do for you and then do it for them! Wish you could have a nail painting, movie watching, popcorn eating girls night? Invite a gal or two you have been wanting to connect more with and go for it! Loving your neighbor as yourself definitely comes into play here. So be bold and love with abandon. 
4. Know that Jesus is the best friend you could ever have. 
   1. Think about it. Not only did He create you, breathe life into you, and see all of your days laid out before you before you were even a twinkle in anyone’s eye, but He has seen you through everything. Every break up, every mistake, every breakdown, every harsh misplaced word, every happy moment, every beautiful one. He has seen everything you have gone through, done, regretted and been proud of. There will never be anyone else that sees more than Him or who has loved you for longer. 
   2. You can be real and honest with God. You don’t have to hide a thing, because really, you can’t. We make the mistake of treating God as an old English God (even though the Bible wasn’t even originally written in English… but that’s a blog for another day). We think He will only pay attention if we have all our thee’s and thy’s in order. We should not be a different person when we are talking with God. That’s fraudulent and God’s kind of about truth and the real state of our heart. So just like we can sag over to our bffs couch in sweatpants, we should be able to crawl over to God and tell Him everything that’s made this day just the absolute worst. 
   3. So if you are just in a season where community feels unavailable, lean into Jesus. He is more than enough to fill any hole, any loneliness and any longing. He is enough. 
5. God is all about friendship and community. 
   1. Jesus throughout His time on earth had His 12 disciples who traveled with Him, they shared meals, they had deep talks and while Jesus was their teacher, He also was their companion. 
   2. God has the Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. That is not because God the Father is not enough God to go around, but it’s for community within the God head. 
   3. The Holy Spirit unites believers in all sorts of ways. Ways I have no clue about along with the many times I have seen the Holy Spirit unite believers in thought, action, teaching and prayer. 

So lovely reader, I hope that you have wonderful deep friendships in your life already. Whether you do or you have one more spot open for that person who really needs you more than you know, I encourage you to go out and befriend! I also want to let you know that if you are lonely, if you have been searching for friendship and there’s just nothing, lean into Jesus. He will satisfy ALL of your desires. Jesus alone is enough. I believe He wants you to have friendship and community but nothing can come before Him.