In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus was asked,
"Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
Jesus responded this way: (I'm paraphrasing.)
If you are only going to do two things right, do these:
1. Love God with everything you've got.
2. Love the people that God puts in your life.
There's no way around it -- People are important and it's our job to love them. In doing so, we make some great friends in life, and friends often promote spiritual growth in us. Consider how that works:
Who's following you as you follow Christ?
First of all... we need friends in our lives that we can lead. One of the most powerful opportunities for Christian growth is teaching Bible lessons and praying with those who know less than you. Way back when I was still a fairly new Christian, I was asked to cover someone's Sunday school class for a few weeks while they were away. It was a children's class made up of 4 and 5 year olds. I was given curriculum and a study guide, complete with directions for making a specific craft that went along with the lesson. Easy enough. Who knew that four or five years later I would be heading up all the children's programs in my church?
A few years after that, I became a full-time teacher at a Christian school. One of my favorite jobs ever was teaching third graders, (8 year olds), the Bible. Eventually I graduated to teaching adults. What can I say? You have to start somewhere, and the great thing about teaching kids is that I never felt intimidated. It was great practice. Don't get me wrong, there were challenges, but for the most part, kids are a great audience. The key to working with them is to make learning fun. What's better than that? I got to be a kid again. I re-lived my childhood. In their world, I was the BIG KAHUNA because I knew everything! LOL.
As I teach adults about the Bible today, I still try to make it fun. Nobody wants to be lulled to sleep with a boring Bible study. The Bible isn't boring. It's packed with history, interesting people, drama, miracles, adventure and all sorts of fascinating details! People make the Bible boring. On a personal note... I'm a story teller and an adventurer at heart. The Bible is filled with stories worth re-telling! I thrive off that! Not to mention that I'm always talking about my adventures with The Holy Spirit!
There's a saying...
If you're the smartest one
in your circle of friends
it's time to find some new friends.
Completely on the other end of the spectrum are mentors. Everyone needs a mentor. Even mentors need a mentor. These are people who know more than you. They are your BIG KAHUNA. They answer your questions. They fill you in on the hidden secrets to success. They challenge you to grow. We're in awe of their personal experiences. We listen to them and take notes. We learn from them. They are our example.
We're following them, as they follow Christ!
Then there's your peers -- People in the same vicinity as you are in this Christian race called life. Their experiences may vary. They may know more about somethings, and you may know more about other things. Even still, you're all around the same place when it comes to maturity in Christ. God often uses your peers to fine tune you.
"As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17
Nothing wrong with a little competition. I'm not saying that we are to compete with one another. No, we are to work together. That said, however, competition happens and it can be a good thing. When I see someone excelling and moving forward with Christ, I think to myself, "Hey... they're moving forward. I'm not going to be left behind. If they can do it, I can do it! I'm going all out with them!" That's iron sharpening iron at its best!
Even in challenging times, God uses relationships with people to temper us and teach us. Subjects like forgiveness, patience, mercy, humility and compassion -- to name a few -- are tough but important.
Talking things out with one another, sharing experiences, encouraging each other in our walks with the Lord, challenging one another towards victory and progress -- You can't accomplish that alone. Your own abilities will only bring you so far in life. If you're going to succeed, it's going to take teamwork.
Even in challenging times, God uses relationships with people to temper us and teach us. Subjects like forgiveness, patience, mercy, humility and compassion -- to name a few -- are tough but important.
Talking things out with one another, sharing experiences, encouraging each other in our walks with the Lord, challenging one another towards victory and progress -- You can't accomplish that alone. Your own abilities will only bring you so far in life. If you're going to succeed, it's going to take teamwork.
Of course, the best friend of all is the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 says...
"God's love has been poured out
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
who has been given to us."
How is it that you're going to love God and love others? God has deposited that divine ability into us though the presence of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, I'm not sure we could ever really fulfill those commandments on our own. To top it off, the Holy Spirit is our friend, our traveling companion, our helper, the one who walks with us through life. He's our counselor and advocate. He's our teacher. He is the ultimate friend. He is the divine partner. He makes life interesting!
"...there is a friend that sticks
closer than a brother."
Proverbs 18:24b
As I sat in my Bible study today and asked everyone to give a testimony or praise report, one gal responded, "All I can say is that I am blessed!" With that, she listed off several things she was thankful to God for. I guess that's what I'm doing right now. I am realizing that one of the greatest blessings in my life are my friends. They bless me in numerous ways... one of those being that they help me to grow in the Lord. Who are you thanking God for today?
In Red shoes,
Gail
