Friends in Christ

"I thank my God every time I remember you. 

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart ...God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 1:1, 7-8

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I have always loved reading the introductions in Paul's letters to the first churches, because the love he has for these people, his brothers and sisters in Christ, is so obvious and touching. I love Paul's heart, and how deeply and passionately he lives for Christ, and lives to love those around him well. Paul's heart was to teach, to exhort, to encourage, and sometimes to even correct, but behind it all, was the desire to love his friends in Christ. 

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There's an amazing bond between Christians, a friendship knit together because Christ has done it, by bringing two lives together, and because Christ has done the connecting, that connection can never be broken. 

I have sisters in Christ that I can go days, months, even years without speaking to- just because life takes us apart- and the minute I see them again, or hear their voice again, we are able to pick right back up as if time never passed. 

The reason we are able to do this, is because our souls are connected in Christ. He is the center of our relationship, and though our lives change, and we grow older, Christ, does not. He is constant, and so, He is the constant "glue" in Christian friendships. 

When friendships are centered on Christ, they are often focused on praise for what God has done, encouragement through scripture, reminders of God's faithfulness, scriptural challenges, and genuine love. These friendships are not like the world's, where jealousy, slander, and petty behavior rips two people apart. 

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I received a phone call tonight from one of these true friends I'm speaking of, a sister in Christ. We haven't actually seen each other in years, but the moment I heard that familiar voice, tears stung my eyes. I was speaking again with my dear friend, remembering the path that our friendship has taken, and being encouraged again by the love God has shown me through this friend. We were able to catch up with just a few words, acknowledging God's work in the other's lives, and rejoicing with one another. We were able to genuinely share what's really going on in our hearts, because there are no walls between sisters in Christ. 

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I'm thankful, tonight, for the friendships God brings into our lives, and the way He blesses us and shows us His love through these friendships. 

And just as Paul showed love to the original churches, remember today, that as Christians, we are called to love one another in this same way. Be a good sister, be a good brother, understanding that in the family of Christ, we all need each other.