Committing to Each Other

08/04/2008
by Jon Walker


A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)


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Today's guest devotional is provided by Jon Walker -
Truth teaches that the quality of our friendships is more important than the quantity. We don't need a lot of friends in this life, but we do need a few good ones.
By moving beyond superficial acquaintance with specific Jesus-ones, we become friends who are closer than family (Proverbs 18:24).
This requires considerably more commitment than our standard "to each his own" approach to getting along. Instead, we agree there will be "none of this going off and doing your own thing" (Colossians 3:15 MSG).
We see each other as individuals, unique creations of God and vessels of God's grace. We "develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results" when we "do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor" (James 3:18 MSG).
Although this describes what a family should be, it's a stone, cold fact that many people find closer relationships among friends than their blood relatives. But there is a different type of blood relative, sisters and brothers who are grafted together through the blood of Jesus Christ.
His power within us gives us the ability to become companions who stick together closer than a brother, or sister.

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.