Why You Need Christian Friends

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

My friend Johnna sent me a text this morning, and at the bottom of the message, she wrote, “Thanks for doing life with me, friend. The good, the bad, the hard, the fun, all of it.”

It was such a simple statement, but it was also a beautiful summation of what it’s like to live in Christian community. It’s not always pretty and it’s not always easy, but boy is it all worth it.

Yes, there are good moments, like when you get to celebrate a big milestone with someone or get excited together when God answers a prayer you’ve been praying for years.

There are also bad moments, like when there’s a conflict or someone says or does something to hurt someone else.

There are hard moments, like when you are navigating heartbreak, loss, disappointment, pain, or doubt.

And there are fun moments, like when you get to laugh together, worship together, serve together, grow together, and spend time together.

I think sometimes we believe that being in relationship with other Jesus followers won’t be hard or messy. Because if we all love Jesus, how could there be any big issues, right?

Wrong.

We’re still humans. And humanity, unfortunately, makes everything a little messier and a little more difficult at times.

But what is different about being in relationship and community with other believers is that we all have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. And that means each of us has access to the fruits of the Spirit that we wouldn’t otherwise have if we weren’t following Jesus.

So we can be patient when our flesh wants to be impatient. We can be kind when our flesh wants to be passive-aggressive. We can be gentle when our flesh wants to prove a point. We can be faithful when our flesh wants to give up. We can be joyful when our flesh wants to pout. And we can be loving when our flesh wants to be selfish.

Like Johnna said, there are many different types of moments when you do life with other believers – good, bad, hard, and fun. But when we rely on the Holy Spirit and choose to love others the way Jesus loves us, those relationships can bring more happiness, growth, and fulfillment to our lives than we could ever hope for, ask, or imagine.

So whatever type of season you’re in right now – good, bad, hard, or fun – I hope and pray that you have a strong, Christian community around you. I hope you have friends who love Jesus and who love doing life with you. And I pray that you will lean on them and let them in to every single season of life you walk through so that you can experience all that God had in mind when He designed us to live in community with one another.