Two are better than one because they have a good return for
their labor. For if either of them falls,
the one will lift up his companion. But
woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down
together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Spiritual Friendship, like most
interpersonal relationships, is complicated.
If we are honest, we as Christians make many assumptions regarding others’
spiritual walks; moreover, often we are careful to make our walk look smoother
than it is. However, inside, where
nobody else can see, we all read James’ words, “For we all stumble in many
ways” (Ibid. James 3:2a) and silently we shout, amen!
There is a phenomenon in our modern
world concerning social media. Although some people are more than willing to
overshare every problem they encounter, most people want their online profile
to appear perfect. Photos with smiling
friends and family. Posts that make us
look like we have our lives together and everything is in order. We can take this same mindset and apply it to
our outward spiritual walks, doing everything we can to make sure people only
see our pressed and wrinkle-free white robes.
However, James was being brutally
honest when he said that we all stumble.
And it is at these times that Spiritual Friends are most needed. Again, there are overly honest people on
social media and that can be somewhat awkward at times. Some confessions and
conversations are best kept between personal friends and not for everyone to
see. However, these kinds of exchanges
are necessary for a Christian’s life and can be powerful moments of
growth. Hence the necessity of Spiritual
Friendship.
Consider what Paul expressed to the
Corinthians in his second letter. There
he talked about how God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort
others when they have difficulties (1:3-4).
It’s important to see that one person can receive the comfort that is
meant to be passed on to comfort another.
That is where a friend can pass on what they have received in their past
to a friend going through a similar ordeal.
We’ll explore this idea more when we get into Spiritual Guidance.
Written by Pastor Ozzy
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Works Cited
Works Cited
1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.
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