We were made for God and for each other. When life falls apart and everything is stripped away, we start to realize how important deep relationships are. We will either recognize the relationships we have compromised in order to pursue selfish desires, or we will appreciate the relationships we have invested in. Suffering brings relationships to the forefront as we realize how much we need one another.
It’s not enough to surround ourselves with people, busy ourselves with social events, and engage with acquaintances on social media. Suffering helps us to grasp the importance of deep relationships.
Most people who are long past high school could tell you that at some point throughout their teenage years, they longed to be popular. There was something enticing about being in the popular crowd, being surrounded by friends, always having plans on a Friday night, being a part of a group. But those same people who longed to be popular would probably tell you that they experienced the most joy when they found those few friends who were loyal, faithful, and real. Those few friends may have even been the ones whom you carried into your adult life.
This is because we weren’t made for popularity or superficial friendships. We were made for deep community with one another. And when suffering comes (and it will—more than once) our superficial friends will fall away and only the friendships who have deep roots will be there to weather the storm with you.
Reflection/Discussion Questions: Do you have a few deep friendships? How have those friendships come to be?
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