Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Chuck Swindoll
True Friends Make the Journey of Life More Pleasant
We are all on a journey. We are born, and we are all going to die. The journey is all about what happens in between, and it’s very easy to look at this journey as basically not involving much change. If you are born Steve, you are basically going to remain Steve until you die.
The reality is that we are born one way, but we are always in a state of becoming something else. In Christian terms, our life is really a journey of rediscovering the image that God has put in our beings.
This is in keeping with the biblical fact that we were born in God’s image, and due to sin, this image was corrupted. And our life’s journey is really about rediscovering this image and reconstructing Christ’s image in our lives. We are always in transition. The only thing constant is the fact that the menacing of life is about recapturing and reconstructing God’s image in our beings.
The World Can Be Lonely
However, this journey can be quite lonely. You have to understand that this divine image reconstruction is not theoretical; it’s not academic. It actually is very practical.
How practical? It involves dealing with challenges, trials, pain, loss, and the death of loved ones. These events that take place in our lives form the background of our journey. It is no surprise that it can feel very lonely. The world is a fallen place, and living in the world often involves seeing people pitted against each other. It is no surprise that many Americans and Europeans, and increasingly, people in the world, are feeling that life is essentially meaningless and shallow. You are born, and then you die. The good news is that this is not true.
Friends Mirror Christ’s Love and Friendship
The good news is that with the right friends, this journey of discovery and journey of reconstructing God’s image in our life doesn’t have to be a lonely one. When you surround yourself with friends that mirror Christ’s love and friendship, they keep you company in your journey. Just as they help you by being around and being encouraging, you help them through your support.
As Chuck Swindoll said, “I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy.” Let’s face it. Friends make life a lot more fun? That is the absolute truth. Friends make not just life more fun and bearable, but friends make the Christian life fun, exciting, and more fulfilling. You are on a journey, but the good news is that you don’t have to make that journey alone.
