03 Mar You were born for this
Most of us grew up on shows like Friends, Seinfeld and Cheers. The latter was one of my favorites, probably because I loved the theme song so much. I’ll never forget the jingle, “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came…”
When you stop and think about it though, those words really ring pretty true for us all. We all want people in our lives who know us thoroughly, who love us unconditionally and who will stand by us in both the good times and the bad.
When life gets tough, we want friends who will look at our problems and say, “I was born for this. I was born to help them walk through this.”
Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
As a pastor, I have watched good relationships keep people on the right track, and I have witnessed others grow bitter at their lack of support from friends.
Jesus had the chance to do this, too, at one of the most difficult times in His life. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He was awaiting His betrayal when He asked His disciples to pray with Him. They fell asleep. After awhile, His pursuers came, and in Jesus’ greatest hour of adversity, the disciples fled.
Doesn’t sound like a very solid group of friends, does it? Obviously, Jesus forgave them, but He recognized it as a weakness that could be detrimental to their futures and purposes. He knew the church wouldn’t survive without people helping each other. So, in the middle of their last meal, The Last Supper, Jesus got up and demonstrated the kind of friendship he wanted them to live with. He took off his outer garment, put a towel around his waist and washed his disciples’ feet.
He later went on to tell them, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
The bottom line is that we are better together. We don’t have everything we need to get through life successfully on our own, and that’s for a reason. God wants us to lean on each other.
There are several reasons we need our friends. First off, we need each others’ abilities. Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” We work better together when we work in our strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses.
Secondly, our support is needed. Verses 9-10 go on to say, “Two are better than one, because… 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.” We’ve got to pick each other up each time we fall.
Next, we are needed for comfort. Verse 11 says, “Also if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?” We are called to encourage each other in our darkest moments.
Finally, we need each others’ fight. The passage ends in Verse 12 when it says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves…” We will always be stronger together.
What kind of friendships have you built? I hope they’re like the ones mentioned. If not, ask God to help you find some or grow the ones you have. This week, make an effort embrace your friends’ struggles and strengths knowing you were born for this!