Churches offer deep, lifelong friendships

Churches offer deep, lifelong friendships

Friendship doesn’t make you wealthy, but true friendships will reveal the wealth within you. Wealthy is the person who has the opportunity, the claims it, to be involved in a church and witness the love of real friends in Christ. One only has to experience being at a hospital or funeral home with a hurting family to see this love.

You see the friends, caring, as they lift you up when the valley seems dim. That’s part of what the church is all about- the great privilege of people reaching out to each other with love.

Sometimes this love is given not just to those people we know. You, the readers of this article, reached out to a friend of mine, Robbie Ellis, about two years ago. I mentioned Robbie and the health problems she was having.

Some 200 letters came to her home in Florida. The letters contained words of encouragement from new friends she had never met and, no doubt, never would.

Robbie passed away recently and went to be with the Lord. How often I heard her mention her appreciation for the thoughtfulness of so many of you. Please know that you indeed made a difference in her life. It just does your heart so much good, just like being in a thriving church that seems to be full of the love of God.

I remember the time in one of our churches when it was called to our attention that a new family in town had not been attending any church. There was a death in the family.

A dear lady who had a compassion for everyone suggested the family may not have many friends and our church should minister to them. After looking into the matter, the church members did just that. They provided food and visited the family. At the funeral, one could look around and see only the family members and the members of our church. I think I was more proud of our congregation at that time than any time I could remember. They had chosen to do something they did not have to do- spreading Christian friendship to those who had no friends.

There is transforming power in friendships, and it is so important for people in a church to get involved. Sad is the person who says he has not made any friends at church. Most likely, all the person does is come to the morning service and leave. It is in the smaller groups of a church that you find your place.

One of my favorite songs is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” It is in that friendship that the hurts and disappointments are behind us when we are in His presence. Let us share His love with others and offer our Christian friendship not just to our church members but also to those outside the walls of the church who have no friends.

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