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Growing up, I had a variety of friends, some of Christian faith and some not. I was somewhere in the middle. Raised by parents who didn’t follow Jesus, I rarely attended church. I tended instead toward hanging out with the “fun” nonbelievers and indulging in self-destructive behaviors, such as experimenting with drugs. Yet, I felt something was missing in my life. There was an emptiness that couldn’t be filled with drugs or reckless behavior. As I matured, I wanted the peace and assurance that I saw in my faith-filled friends, those who had shared beliefs between them.
When I met my husband-to-be, Don was a Christian raised by church-going parents, but he was adrift. He was not living the lifestyle he’d been taught in church. As our relationship grew, so did our relationship with God. We joined a church where an older couple, much stronger in their faith than we were, took us under their wing. We became best friends. The friendship lasted more than thirty years until they both passed away. Our relationship with them enriched and influenced our lives more than I could have ever imagined.
Here are 5 benefits of choosing your closest relationships among those with shared beliefs.
We Sharpen Each Other
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV).
When you rub two iron blades together, they both benefit by becoming sharper and more effective. The same is true of your relationships. If you have shared beliefs with your closest friends and your spouse, all of you will benefit from your relationship. You strengthen each other through mutual support, encouragement, and spiritual growth. If you have two types of friends, those who share your beliefs and those who don’t, you will gravitate to the friends with shared beliefs during the hard times. Jesus’ closest friends were those He trusted, those who followed His teachings—Lazarus, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, and His disciples. He chose to be with them during both times of fellowship and times of sorrow.
We Lift Each Other Up
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, NIV).
When you are at your lowest spiritually, emotionally, or physically it can be easy to fall into depression or self-doubt and difficult to pick yourself back up. That’s when your relationships with those who share your beliefs become invaluable. They can step in to remind you of God’s love through prayer, counsel, and encouragement. You can be there for them in turn, when they need uplifting.
We Practice Forgiveness
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13, NIV).
It is human to want revenge for one who has wronged you. Otherwise, God wouldn’t have to teach forgiveness so often throughout His Word. Movies, TV shows, and litigation commercials rarely discuss forgiveness. Most people would consider action films boring if the lead actor told the villain, “I forgive you,” at the start.
People who don’t follow Jesus may be quick to encourage you to get revenge. But those who share your faith can help counsel and remind you to listen to God’s Word and choose forgiveness. If somebody crashes into your car, should they be liable and compensate you? Sure. But, whether or not compensation comes to you, that doesn’t negate God’s instruction to forgive the one who trespassed against you. Unforgiveness affects you more than the person who wronged you. It can be poisonous to hold on to that anger and bitterness. It can put distance between you and God when unforgiveness consumes your thoughts.
We Stand Out as Different
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NIV).
The current state of this world can seem pretty bleak. Violent anger and a secular mob mentality seem to be snowballing out of control. The news bombards us with school shootings, road rage, extreme political differences, and terrorist attacks. You don’t need to be oblivious to what’s going on, but surrounding yourself with other people who follow God can help you not fall into fear and anxiety. Pray with those of shared faith, discern what the will of God is in every situation, and don’t conform to mob mentality. Practice “God mentality” instead.
We Do Good to Everyone
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10, NIV).
God makes clear throughout His Word that we should form our deepest relationships with those of shared beliefs and that those relationships formed from shared beliefs affect our lives in positive ways. But God also encourages us to do good to those who are not part of our faith. I thank God that when I was flailing and searching for meaning, He led me to Don, Sam, and Carol who shared their beliefs, and ultimately their lives with me.
Listen now to a short segment of this Abide meditation based on Galatians 6:10. Let God speak to your heart about doing give not only to those of shared faith, but everyone.
Surrounding ourselves with those with shared beliefs, while maintaining relationships with friends we hope will follow Jesus someday, can make us better people, strengthen us when we’re weak, help us be more forgiving, spur us on to do good, and encourage us to stand out as different in a dark world. Who might you need to draw closer to today?
As you seek to forge strong bonds with those who have a shared faith with you, take Abide along. Our more than 1500 biblical meditations, like the one above, all seek to help you first strengthen your relationship with God. Download the app and start a premium subscription to unlock our entire library of content. Use this link for 25% off.
Kristy Dewberry is a contributing writer to Guideposts and other faith-based publications. She feels blessed to share the experiences she’s had in her Christian walk as well as learn from the observations of others.
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