CLOSE FRIENDS IN CHRIST

... you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.    John 13:3

     Ladies and gentlemen, folks, you all and occasionally, guys and gals are common terms I use in addressing my evening classes at Victory University, formerly, Crichton College. I try to be folksy and friendly.  I’ve sat where they sit and I’ve suffered through semester after semester and year after year. I want us all on the same level. I want to gain them as friends, Christian friends.

     Scripture calls Christians by many names: saints, servants, disciples, followers, and believers. But my favorite name is friend or Christian friend. Because we are friends, we need to live in harmony.     Our testimony is flawed when friends don’t get along. People see that rift and question our love for our God.  When they see that gulf, they see a discrepancy in belief and behavior.  There are probably a lot of people we call friends who feel a real distance in our relationship.  Where is that person that you thought God placed in your garden as a weed?  Seek out that special someone desperately needing your love and encouragement maybe even your forgiveness.  They are closer than you think.

          Be united with other Christians. A wall with loose bricks is not good. The bricks must be cemented together.   Corrie ten Boom

 Gardening tip: You don’t want plants to be as close as your friends.  Give them room.