Monday, July 25, 2011

All For Christ and All About Christ: Friends (My brothers & Sisters in Christ)

It definitely has been amazing to see God working in the relationships He's given me with friends, all my brother's and sisters in Christ! My love for them all has grown so much as the years have come and gone. There have been times of laughter, grief, smiles, tears, late nights, early mornings, jamming with instuments, board games, road trips, prayer, worshipping & praising God, studying & sharing Scripture, deep conversations about Christ & the Gospel, sharing the Gospel of Christ, and so much more. The memories are unforgettable! I'm thank God so very much for blessing me with godly & Christlike friends. They have and continue to be a blessing and encouragement to me in Christ!
Yet there has been something that I've been thinking about off and on lately. Or I can say that it is the ultimate aim I have in regards to the relationships I have with my friends, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. My aim is this: That my relationships with my friend be all for Christ and all about Christ. Let me elaborate. I find joy in and delight in seeing my friends having joy and delighting in Jesus, the Gospel, God, and the Scriptures; it makes me smile and encourages me to hear what God has been teaching them in His Word, seeing them grow more into the image of Christ, and hunger for more of Him! I love it!
I can have those time of laugther, late nights, joking around, playing board games, and all that; yet if Christ is missing in the relationships I have with my friends, then these friendships would hardly be anything. They would all be for just selfish gain. So my ultimate desire in my relationships with my friends is to see them savoring and treasuring Christ above all else, and that God would use me to fuel that passion in their hearts for more of Christ in their lives!

This is my prayer in regards to me and my friends, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ:

That I'd be selfless, humble and meek towards them. Being lowly and servant-like when around them. That I'd be I'd be a blessing, joy, and an encouragement in Christ when I'm with them. Always exlating Christ in my attitude, motives, intentions, conversations, and overall interactions towards them. Seeking to build them up and point them to Christ. Reminding them of God's promises that are in His Word. Wanting my time with them to be filled with Christ. Encouraging them to keep pressing on toward the goal (Phil 3:14), keep fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12), keep running the race with endurance (Heb 12:1), with their gaze fixed on Christ! Oh that my relationship with them be all for Christ and all about Christ!

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