SATURDAY May 24, 2025

The Value of Christian Relationships

I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy....
2 Timothy 1:3-4

In his letter, Paul's love for Timothy was obvious; he prayed for him night and day. The Apostle greatly desired to see Timothy because he knew that his son in the faith missed him. Paul was like a father to him, and it was a difficult time because Timothy would have to carry on without his mentor.

As Paul was getting ready to die and leave this earth, his heart was to prepare Timothy, as the pastor of the church of Ephesus, for the future. He gave advice and instruction on how to deal with problems in the church, and Paul readied him, in his absence, to take up the baton and move forward.

In the ministry, many tears are shed. In Acts 20, Paul shed tears because of what he knew would transpire in the church after he died. Savage wolves––false teachers––would come and cause division. When Paul prepared to sail to Jerusalem, the elders accompanied him to the shore, and the elders kneeled on the beach to pray with him. Many tears were shed among them knowing that they would never see him again until they reached heaven.

As Christians, we will make friendships and relationships with other believers in the church. These friendships are to be valued. It is important to pray and encourage one another continually. There will be times when we must exhort one another as friends: As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17). It is good to be accountable to one another and pour into each other’s lives.

There will come seasons of losses––times when we have to say goodbye to our friends who are ready to depart this world. Tears will be shed in our final goodbyes, but we have the hope of seeing them in heaven.

Christ, who said to the disciples, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.
~C. S. Lewis~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!