Christ-centred friendships are beautiful! They are the kind of friendship that lasts. For sure, they are tested and tried, but they aren’t easily broken by trivial stuff. This kind of sisterly love requires much supernatural forbearance and practical skill. Human nature leans toward a distorted and often self-oriented understanding of what friendship should be, and that is why we have to ensure that our friendships are built on Christ. This kind of friendship goes against the world-standard. It is one that seeks to fulfil Jesus’ command to “love one another” in such a way that “all people will know that [we] are [His] disciples” (John 13:35).
We will never get this kind of friendship right without an understanding of God Himself. The first friendship in creation began when God extended His hand towards humanity. In the beginning, He sought out the company of those He had created. He had no need for our friendship, but He wanted us to share in that fellowship, so He created man and woman, and He walked with them as friends in the garden. That friendship was destroyed through sin, but God responded by extending friendship to us again through His Son, Jesus Christ. The scripture tells us that the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person lays down his life for his friends. This is what Jesus did for humanity. He laid down His life so that the hostility that had eradicated our intimacy with God could be eliminated and that intimacy restored. Now we can have sweet fellowship with God once again if we receive Jesus as our saviour.
Why must we know redemptive history in order to do friendship well? Because God’s initiation and demonstration of friendship are the foundation of sisterly love: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Without this knowledge, the friendships that we establish will definitely fail! One way we can know that our friendships are Christ-centered is if we consistently enjoy friendship with God. Are you enjoying friendship with God? When we know His daily companionship, we know that His ability to love, know, and care for us is limitless and perfect. Our friendship with each other can then be truly enjoyed in its proper, secondary place because we are not putting pressure on it that it was never meant to bear.
It is right to consistently bring our friendships before the Lord, so we can see if He is in fact at the center.
Question for reflection: Are your friendships Christ-centered? Sit down and do an evaluation. If they aren’t Christ-centered, what changes can you make to ensure that they are?
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Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.