Surrounded

“A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today, I want you to look at this picture and think about your tribe or your inner circle of friends. Each candle represents a friend. When one flame goes out, what do you do? Do you let it sit there flameless, or do you relight it with another candle? When it flickers in the wind and the light dims, are you immersed in darkness? No, because the others are still shining. When you are struggling to remain lit are your friends there keeping light in the darkness? When your light is out, do they delight your flame? When you cannot go one more step, are they there to carry you the rest of the way? Will they intercede on your behalf in prayer? Carry you to the alter when you can't carry yourself? Do you know what the Bible says about friends? It says this:

• ”If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.“

• ”The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• ”Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.“

These are just a few of many verses that implore you to be very careful when you choose your friendships. I know today's post is hard. It's hard for me too. I find I feel very negative towards everything when I've spent time with a friend who is not daily seeking the Lord, but I when I spend time with those friends who love Jesus and serve Him daily, I feel so happy and have a renewed spirit. I've learned I am much happier and therefore my family and home are much happier when I'm surrounded by other women who love Jesus and seek Him daily as I do. They breathe life into my day to day when I get lost in the monotony and give me purpose when I feel I have none. Now, I am not saying to abandon all of your friends who don't have the same steadfast commitment to Christ that you have, but I am saying to make sure your inner circle does. Those friends still need light in their darkness and you may be the only light they have, but make sure you are not falling into their darkness. Have that inner circle of friends who are supporting you, helping you grow in your faith, and keeping you in check so that you do not begin to slip into those old habits and ways. Once you slip, it is so easy to slide right back into those habits and lifestyle. It's much harder to climb back out than it is to stay steadfast. We as Christians are called to minister to those living of the world, but we have to make sure our "home base" are other believers who share the same values as we do.

Are you surrounded by friends who help hold you accountable in your daily walk or are you surrounded by friends who bring you down? I implore you to take your friend circle very seriously. Your friends matter and can be the ones who bring you closer to Jesus or tear you off your journey with Christ. Are your friends so bold in their faith they would lower you through the roof to get to Jesus to heal you? If not, maybe you need to be praying about your inner circle. Pray for God to send you someone who is bold in their faith and will be steadfast in their commitment to you and you faith. I love you all and thank you for joining me in this journey.