Fostering Friendship
There’s something beautiful about the way children make friends. A shared swing, a quick laugh, and suddenly they’re inseparable. For adults, though, it’s not so simple. Research shows it can take over 200 hours to form a close friendship as an adult—and that’s assuming we’re even trying.
In a world where we’re more connected than ever but lonelier than ever, friendship is undervalued. We prize independence over intimacy, romantic love over deep companionship. But Scripture paints a different picture.
Jesus didn’t just die to forgive us. He died to reconcile us—to bring us back into relationship. The apostle Paul says:
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…” —2 Corinthians 5:19–20
The gospel isn’t just about clearing our debt; it’s about restoring our place at the table. Reconciliation is more than forgiveness—it’s friendship. Deep, rich, honest friendship with God. And from that flows our calling as leaders: to reflect that same kind of radical, sacrificial friendship to those around us.
So here’s the challenge for us this week:
- Are we cultivating friendship with God?
Are you…
- Talking to Him—not just asking for things, but sharing life?
- Doing things with Him, not just for Him?
- Reading Scripture not just for information, but as a conversation—to hear His heart?
- Being honest—bringing your real self to God?
- Sitting with Him in your pain, rather than withdrawing or numbing?
- Listening, not just speaking?
- Including Him in your decisions—even the small, everyday ones?
- Are we modeling biblical friendship in our leadership—marked by generosity, faithfulness, and vulnerability?
- Are we ambassadors of reconciliation in our churches, teams, homes, and communities?
Let’s be leaders who don’t just believe in forgiveness, but live out friendship. With God. With each other. With those still far off.
Take a moment today:
Talk to God like a friend. Listen. Be honest. And invite Him into even the smallest decisions of your day. Then, extend that same depth of friendship to someone else.
Because the gospel isn’t just about forgiveness—it’s about friendship.
Ps Amy Jorden