In the crunch of priorities in your life, where
do your friends fall? For the busy, working individual with countless demands
on their lives, keeping up with friends often gets pushed to the side. It might
be because there isn’t enough time in a day, or because “friend time” feels
like too much of a guilty pleasure.
You
can’t treat friendships like a hobby you’re waiting to take up when you have
more leisure time. Friends must be a priority because they’re an integral part
of God’s plan for your life. The Bible makes
this important statement about being in community together:“Two people are better than one. When two people work together, they get more work done. If one person falls, the other person can reach out to help. But those who are alone when they fall have no one to help them. If two people sleep together, they will be warm.
But a person sleeping alone will not be warm. An enemy might be able to defeat one person, but two people can stand back-to-back to defend each other. And three people are even stronger. They are like a rope that has three parts wrapped together. It is very hard to break.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, ERV)
Be
intentional about forming and building solid Christian friendships. Rushed
chats at church, or Facebook messages
from home don’t count. Like any other worthwhile relationship, true friendship
requires an investment of real time and energy.
Statistics show that
about 20 percent of Americans spend regular time with their neighbors; while 33
percent say they’ve never interacted
with them. In the 1970s,
nearly 30 percent of Americans had frequent time with their neighbors, and only
20 percent had no interactions with them, God’s church can improve their
community efforts in three distinct ways:
1. Accept God’s hospitality:
“And so you are no longer called outcasts and wanderers
but citizens with God’s people, members
of God’s holy family, and residents of His household.” (Ephesians
2:19, VOICE)
“Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them
space where change can take place.” (Henri Nouwen)
2. Imitate God’s hospitality:
“When God’s children are in need, you be the one to
help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or (if
they need lodging) for the night.” (Romans
12:13, TLB)
“The word hospitality in the New Testament comes from
two Greek words. The first word means love and the second word means strangers.
It’s a word that means love of strangers.” (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)
3. Extend God’s hospitality:
“Help carry each other’s
burdens in this way you will follow Christ’s teachings.”
(Galatians 6:2, GW)
“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” (Abigail Van Buren)
Here are
several methods to better demonstrate God’s hospitality:
·
Sacrifice at least five Friday nights each year to
entertain those you do not know.
·
Include those you do not know in your daily plans.
·
Pray for opportunities to assist those you do not
know.
·
Be friendly (and have fun) with those you do not
know.
·
Plant the seed of the gospel in those you do not
know because the work of God is never done.
“If God had a
refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would
be in it. He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning...Face
it, friend. He is crazy about you! ” (Max Lucado)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“A Third of Americans Have
Never Met Their Neighbors” by Melissa Dahl
·
“Most Americans Don't Know Their Neighbors: We
Should Change That” by Eric Metaxas
·
“Synod” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synod)
·
“Too Busy for Friends?” by Diane Paddison
Inspired by the sermon “Refrigerator
Privileges” Sunday, July 23, 2017 Doug McClintic (Regional Governing Director
of Church Multiplication) CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH
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