“If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand” (Philippians 2:1–4 The Message).
As I am writing this blog, I have a pulled muscle in my back. I have been wearing my body down all week singing and dancing with 100 kids at VBS. I have woken up earlier than summer should allow, and I have had some longer days than I care to remember. But I am refreshed.
This state of “refreshment” started about a week ago. I reconnected with a dear friend I hadn’t seen in 6 years. Mind you, this dear friend is about twice my age, and that’s probably generous. She is an angel sent from heaven. She came to my house for brunch and we immediately fell back into the swing of things. Being hundreds upon hundreds of miles away from my mother, this type of communication was more necessary than I even realized! She asked me about my friends. She asked me how I was fitting in here. She asked me what God was doing in my life, and then she asked me what I was doing with those friendships I had just mentioned to glorify God and grow closer. Um…well, we talk about God and stuff.
Honestly, those friendships are amazing. They are the deep spirited friendships that Paul talks about in Philippians 2. I have been incredibly blessed by God in moving here and immediately connecting with a select few who have blessed my heart immensely. So, her question didn’t intimidate me or challenge me. It only inspired me. It inspired me to take a look at those friendships that I treasure so dearly and do something about it! To acknowledge what exactly I love about those people and to be motivated to do more with them for God’s glory. I started the summer a little off, not knowing what exactly I would do or what my purpose was. God has made it very clear that He has given me the time to rest, be refreshed, and grow God-glorifying friendships so that we can further His kingdom. (Not gonna lie, typing this makes me feel a little bit like one of The Avengers. I’m pumped!)
It’s funny how God works, isn’t it? He took a woman I thought I would never see again and plopped her back in my life at just the right time.
Take some time this week to read the passage in Philippians. Really let it sink in. Does that passage describe your friendships? If not, what can you do to change that? Let God lead in your life.
