"Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him." Mark 7:31-32
What is true friendship? Consider the deaf man in this passage from Mark. Surely he was frustrated, unable to communicate clearly with others. Surely he wanted to be healed. But it was his good friends who brought him to Jesus. It was "they" who begged Jesus to heal Him. Now that's true friendship.
Friendships aren't about getting together to vent or to gossip and complain about how rotten your life is. Friendships are about building strong relationships that are rooted in faith. You see, friends bring people to Jesus. They bring people to the place where Jesus can be seen and heard.
So it may be that you need the right friendships in your life -- friendships that build you up, and strengthen and encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Real friends don't take you away from the Lord; they bring you closer to Him. Maybe the Lord is telling you to be a friend to those who desperately need Jesus in their lives. Maybe the Lord is prompting you to build relationships with those who you know do not know the Lord, and He wants to use you to "carry them" to Him. We don't need Bible thumpers; we need friendships.
1 comment:
Who are you begging Jesus to heal?
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