If you have ever had the honour of staying at an expensive hotel, you will no doubt have met a doorman. I recently was lost in Zurich, and needed to get somewhere and needed to know which tram to get. Thankfully I was standing outside a very posh hotel, and spoke to the doorman who does far more than open doors, but knows how to get things and how to sort things and how to get places.
Now in the kingdom of God, not one of us can make it on our own. So God gives us friends in the kingdom. It’s ok to have friends, and it’s good to have friends who are sinners, but we are supposed to have godly friendships as well. When God in all His wisdom, sets up a friendship, you will find those friends to be like divine doormen in your life – better than angels. You will find that being their friend is a great honour, and not only that you will find it is the will of God that you befriend them.
God hides the secrets you need to win in life in the minds of your friends. Divine friendships are some of the greatest joys you will have in your life. They will pick you up when you fall, help you see things from a different angle, and get revelations you could never get on your own.
You cannot even pray all the different kinds of prayers without a friend. One of the kinds of prayers you pray is a prayer of agreement. You cannot do that without someone you agree with.
Now most of us, and let’s try and receive this with some humility, choose our friends based on fun. We hang out with people we have fun with. That’s great – we should have some people who are friends who are shaped like us, who get us, who enjoy doing what we do. But, let’s not confuse that with divine friends, who are there to walk with us in the Christian life and make following God fun.
God brings people into your life who are wiser than you – they are the leaders, pastors, fathers in your life. These people are there to lead you forward. God also brings people into your life for you to lead, for you to shepherd, for you to father and love. Those are people who push you forward. But friends are peers – so they can be the cheerleaders of your life. People often get upset with me because as a pastor, I am often their coach, and they are upset I am not their cheerleader. But divine friends will be your cheerleader and you theirs!
If you recognize good, godly friends and perceive them and work on those friendships then you will grow in so many ways. Now it can be hard to perceive the friends God is bringing your way, because they may not like the same TV, the same music, the same sports as you. So when you get together, you have to talk about the Word, about what God is doing in your life, about church, about kingdom things. That’s a key. Don’t dismiss those people – they will be the key people in your life.
Recognize these people, draw near to them, honour them. Have some relationships in your life where you are not talking about work, about babies, about sport or hobbies, but about the Lord. God will bring those people into your life. Learn to see them!
Tree of Life Blog 