Reason #39 - It Helps People Develop Close Personal, Supportive Relationships With Other Christians
Continue to love each other with true Christian love. (Hebrews 13:1)
As a part of an assignment for a doctoral thesis, a college student spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. He lived with one family, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, working with them, and generally living the life that they live each day. The old grandmother of the family spoke no English, yet the two of them developed a very close friendship. They spent a great deal of time together and they learned to share the common language of love and understanding. Over the months, he learned a few phrases of Navajo and she picked up a little English. As the year came to an end and he prepared to leave, the whole village came out to wish him well. As he prepared to get up into the pickup truck and leave, the old grandmother came to tell him goodbye. With tears streaming from her eyes, she placed hands on either side of his face, looked directly into his eyes and said, “I like me best when I’m with you.”
Isn’t that the way we should all feel when we’re in the presence of Jesus? He brings out the best in all of us. We learn to see ourselves as worthy and valuable when we are in his presence. The hurts, the cares, the disappointments of our lives are behind us when we realize the depth of his love. To be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is to generate in other people the Indian grandmother’s simple statement: “I like me best when I’m with you.”
There are close, supportive, Christ-like relationships and friendships waiting for you and they are waiting for you to discover in Sunday school!
Questions To Think About: How would you describe the word “love?” What does the word mean to you? Who or what do you love? Who should you try to love even more?
Prayer Suggestions: Pray for a friend who is facing personal problems or illness.
A Call To Action: Through your social media contacts, tell your friends how much you appreciate their love, care and concern. Tell them that you are praying for them!
