Divine friendships

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.  
Hebrews 3:12-13 [NLT]

One of the astounding truths I learned during my first training on tentmaking was that the number one reason for people coming to Christ, is relationships or friendships between those who follow Jesus and those who do not know him yet. This resonated deeply with me because I always saw relating with people as tedious and unnecessary. But as I discovered through God’s word that relationship is core to God’s heart, I had to make the decision of maintaining and building such friendships. 

It was never God’s idea from the beginning that man should work in isolation. We can see that already in Genesis chapter 2:18, where God says: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 

 As Christians, our nature is to always be in relationship with God and people. The world we live in today has a culture of independence. But God desires that we care, nurture, exhort and admonish one another by maintaining healthy and loving relationships to him and others. 

Reflection 

Do you think relationships are necessary in following Christ and telling others about the love of God?