Friendship

Friendship is a beautiful thing. I don't know where I would be today without the blessing of friends. I am grateful that my wife is my friend. I am fortunate that my parents are friends. I have been blessed with lots of people in my life that I can call true friends. I believe establishing friendships are very important to Christianity. The fellowship that we are able to enjoy with one another is a tremendous part of what should get us through difficult times.

Friendship is at least in part what helped Peter and John get through what I would perceive as a difficult time. In Acts 4, the church is in its infant state, and as Peter and John were out preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, the Jewish leaders grew quite annoyed with them. They had recently healed a lame man who was a beggar, thus establishing credibility among the people as to what they were teaching. And although the authorities could not find anything inherently wrong with their message, it was still a threat to them. So they arrested Peter and John and "charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18). Of course, the reaction and response of Peter and John to all of this is quite interesting in that they said they could not help but speak about Jesus (v.19) along with their affirmation that they will place God over man (Acts 5:29). Eventually, due to these leaders' inability to find a reason to punish Peter and John, they let them go. It was what Peter and John did immediately upon their release that catches my attention.

"When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them" (Acts 4:23).

I am certainly grateful for the reality that it is very unlikely that we will ever face this type of persecution in our great country for preaching Jesus. But I do often wonder, if ever this were the case, who would I run to? When I face any challenge in life for that matter, whether it be a sin I am struggling with, persecution of some type, grief over a loss, or in need of Godly counsel and wisdom, do I have the type of friends that I could go to, confide in, and ask to pray with and for me? Notice how Peter and John's friends responded to their immediately going to them.

"And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them....." (Acts 4:24ff).

They prayed together! What a beautiful picture of what friendship is all about. Do I have the type of friends that I have no doubt in my mind I can run to, and know that they would stop what they are doing and pray with me and for me? The ones I am closest to in life, am I comfortable enough around them to pray with them?

You bet!

Thank you Heavenly Father and Creator of life for the friendships I have in my life! And please help me to be such a friend to those who are so dear to me.