Of all the glories and joys that come with life on this earth, friendship is perhaps one of the greatest blessings of the Lord. Friendship comes in many different forms and ways; it is what our hearts crave for and shows that we are made for connection. There are so many blessings that friendship offers us.
1. Fellowship
Friendship offers a place for fellowship in the Lord, and it is something greatly valuable to the Kingdom. For it is in coming together as a community of believers and as the Church that we can do life together, and in itself, friendship can be fostered and found. Psalm 133:1 offers, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” It is the heart of the Lord that His people come together in unity, but also to find fellowship in Him. Consider the Church in Acts and how they did life together. Acts 2:46 offers, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” They did life together, and they were for each other. They encouraged one another, helped one another, and brought forth the love of the Lord through their actions and words. Fellowship-filled friendships are ones to pray for and invite into our lives.
2. Companionship
Another blessing of friendship comes companionship. As early as the beginning of Eden, God said, in Genesis 2:18 it says, “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Although this relationship was romantic between Adam and Eve, God builds friendships and companionship within romantic relationships. This richly adds to life, for it is no longer a place of being alone in the ups and downs that come in life, but it is a connection of having someone else to rely upon, journey with, and trust. A companion can come in various forms, but it always offers a place of rooted friendship. Think of Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings. They were companions and friends. Frodo would not have been able to complete the overwhelming journey that was before him without the friendship of Sam. When we look at friendship in that way, we realize it is not just for times of enjoyment, but it is for all the adventures life may throw at us, wild as they may become.
3. Brotherhood
Friendship offers a place of brotherhood in times when we need it most. Some of the most significant friendships in the Bible were not ones of blood relation but ones built over time through storms, through battles, and through good times as well. David and Jonathan are one of the greatest examples of this. Johnathan was the son of King Saul, the first King of Israel, but God had chosen David to be the next King. Instead of fostering jealousy or disdain, Jonathan viewed David as a brother. The verse in Proverbs 18:24 of, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” can truly be said of this friendship. They lifted each other up and supported each other in the best and worst times. They challenged one another when there was a need for rebuke and wisdom, and they had one another’s backs. We can learn so much about friendship from seeing how David and Johnathan were, and it then places it upon us to ask God to bring about a brotherhood (or sisterhood) kind of friendship. One that is not dependent on DNA blood but instead is of the blood of Christ in bonding and calling.
4. Warfare Comrades
In any life, unavoidable hard times come about, but through friendship, we do not endure those seasons alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 boldly encourages us that, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” In those seasons where hardships come, where spiritual warfare is present and rampant, and where things are the most difficult, we see what it means to help another. It may be you rocked in the middle of the storm, or it may be someone that you are called to come alongside, but there is a place of blessing on the other side. It can be said that friendships are strengthened in these times because shared experience or even shared trauma cultivate something different within that only good times do not. Ask God how you can be a friend to those around you in their times of need and trust Him to bring those you need when you face your own battles.
5. Memories
All friendships are built with memories. Many of these memories can be graced and laced with some of the most golden days of life. Perhaps it is a vacation or trip, or maybe a celebration or milestone together, but memories can come about that become locked in our minds of a blessed time. I like to call such times “snow globe moments” because they are the kind of moments or feelings you wish you could capture in a snow globe. You wish they could stay in the closets of your mind when you need to recall something glorious and take that captured memory and shake it to remember all the bits and tiny details. To watch in wonder your mind’s eye like shaking a snow globe. Instantly back to a time in which you were surrounded by loved ones, wonderful friends, and a time where things were just as they ought to be. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts friendships give us is the gift of memories.
Friendship is sincerely a gift of the Lord. They serve to be something our hearts not only crave but are made to need. God can bring about friendship in incredible connections and ways, and those connector moments can, in turn, produce a friendship that can last a lifetime. Ask the Lord to bring about for you the people He has for you. The people who will seek to support you, root you on, challenge you in the correct ways, and be those that produce good fruit in the garden of your life. Above all else, the most remarkable friendship of all is the relationship you have with Jesus. He is the ultimate, best, and greatest Friend, and He laid down His life for you. Recall John 15:12-15, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” You are loved, chosen, and wanted by the Lord. Embrace all the blessings He has for you through friendships of every kind.
Cally Logan is an author and US History teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Her works have been featured on "The 700 Club Interactive" and Christine Caine's "Propel Women," among several notable outlets. She served as a mentor for young women for several years and enjoys challenging ladies to develop deeper relationships with God and to live fearlessly and authentically. She received her B.A. Degree from Regent University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in nature, having genuine chats over coffee, and woodworking. Her new book, The Wallflower That Bloomed, will be available everywhere on May 1, 2024. It is set to be featured in Jesus Calling and on The 700 Club on May 28, 2024. @CallyLogan Instagram CallyLogan.com