Charles Stanley Daily Devotional  20 July  2024 | Topic: The Need for Friendship 

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The Need for Friendship

Believers should live in community—giving to and receiving from others.

July 20, 2024

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2 Timothy 4:9-22

Independence is a prized attribute in Western culture, but biblically speaking, it isn’t a worthy aspiration. The very fact that the Lord formed the church—a community of believers—should tell us that He did not create us for self-sufficiency or isolation.

When we place our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit indwells us so we can have a relationship with Him and satisfying friendships with one another. In God’s design, a committed biblical friendship builds both parties toward Christlikeness. Over and over in Scripture, we find evidence of believers relying upon a close friend or confidante for support. In today’s passage, for example, Paul spoke about his dependence on dear companions. And he encouraged others to form godly relationships too.

The further we drift from the Lord, the more pervasive our self-sufficient attitude becomes. We’re hesitant to give to others, which in turn makes us reluctant to receive. Instead, Scripture tells us we are to love one another, bear our brothers’ burdens, and confess our sins to fellow believers (John 13:34; Galatians 6:2; James 5:16). In other words, we’re to give ourselves away to others and receive from them in return. That’s how church members can encourage one another to Christlikeness.

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