There are have been a handful of people in my life that have been more than just friends to me. I started to get my walk with Christ together back in 2017 going into 2018. Actually, 2018 was really the year because at the beginning of the year I rededicated my life to Christ and was baptized going into the new year. At the time, I had one friend in my life who was really in my spiritual corner. I call her my spiritual spirit animal because I saw the way she lived and modeled her life with Christ, and it was something that I wanted too. Over the course of 2018 going into 2019, I had another person in my life who became more than just a friend. She too inspired me to press deeper in my walk with Christ. Earlier this year, I’ve had a few other friends who were also planted in Christ that kind of popped into my life (at a time that I didn’t even realize I needed them) make an impact on me as well, you see the list is growing right? I also recently joined a group that another friend and her sister started. The purpose of this group is to hold each other accountable in our walks with Christ. We help each other navigate through our relationships with Him and have weekly Bible study zoom call as well. I truly believe this group is going to be one that furthers my spiritual journey. To me, a big thing is ACCOUNTABILITY – all these people that I have mentioned each do that for me and they are constantly reminding me of GRACE (remember last week’s post). I’m one that tries too hard to perfect my faith walk and they remind me that it’s not going to always be perfect. The key is to remain active and take it day by day, really moment by moment.
I titled this post “Who’s in your Spiritual Corner?” because I think it’s a question we all should ask ourselves. It’s a question that calls for deep reflection and self-evaluation amongst yourself and your friends. Who in your circle exhibits some of the things I mentioned above? Is there someone outside of your circle that exhibits those things above? I personally had to take inventory of the friends in my circle, and those outside of my circle as well. Having friend(s) in your spiritual corner is also something that I will highly recommend, especially if you are like me and want to deepen your faith with God. Having friends in your spiritual corner helps me be held accountable too so that I can live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to God. From having these people in my life, I hope that I can also be that spiritual spirit animal for someone who may need it just as I did.
We weren’t meant to live this life alone. We were meant to have people surrounding us, people to fellowship and grow with. I’ve heard Jackie Hill Perry reference the book of Genesis where it talks about how God created man and then created woman so that man would not be alone (yes, for marriage of course but there’s more to it). I now understand what she means when she says it’s not just about this creation being solely for marriage, but it’s so much more than that. Yes, marriage is something that is important, but it really boils down to the relationship. The relationship doesn’t have to just be one that is romantic, but it can be a relationship amongst friends, family, fellow Christians, etc. I think Jackie was really onto something when she talked about this. We weren’t meant to live this life alone (PERIOD), because people can help us cultivate and grow our relationship with Christ.
There a few verses that really call out to me about fellowship with other people, and how to encourage one another:
· 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
· Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
· Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
· Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
And these are only a few. There are so many more Bible verses that speak to fellowship with one another. My personal favorite is Proverbs 27:17 because when you actually think about it, that’s exactly what having people in your spiritual corner will do. They sharpen you and you sharpen them. You both grow together and hold each other accountable for certain things; you pray for each other; you encourage each other; and you love one another.
So, I challenge you to take inventory of your friends – do any of your friends have the qualities of a spiritual spirit animal? Are they in a place spiritually where you would like to be? Talk with them about it and let them know you see their walk with Christ and want a similar experience in your relationship with Christ. That’s exactly what I did and let me just say it’s the best decision I’ve made! And know this, I’m here for you too!
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