These past few days I have been thinking about friendships and what really makes a true friendship last. Do you wonder sometimes why you used to be so close to a person during a season in your life and now, for some reason, you are no longer that close? I think one of the main reasons is because you both grew apart. The things you had once in common may have passed and now you are left with almost nothing to talk about. I think this happens for various reasons. It could be you were best friends in high school and when you went to college you lost touch and went completely separate ways. It could be you were best friend in college but then you each took a job in different parts of the country and lost touch. As you get older, get married and start having kids you get busier and no longer have time to nurture your relationships as you used to.
As your kids grow up and you attend all their activities, you make friends and get close to your kids’ parents but when the kids are done, you lose touch with your new friends. Another situation could be your workplace. You work at a company for a season in your life and you get really close to a co-worker. Then, when one of you leaves the organization, the friendship cools off and sometimes it goes away completely. Another reason could be that you and your friend experience completely different life circumstances that causes your world views to change and you then grow apart. I think this is the hardest things to overcome to keep the relationship close and moving forward.
Despite all the circumstances and changes in your life that happen throughout the years, however, I believe that if you and your friend have God as the center of your relationship, you can be close friends forever. You and your friend can talk about the things of God. You can share what God is doing in your life right now, how He’s molding you to be what He created you to be, how He’s helping you get through a challenging situation you’re currently facing, and you can also simply pick up a Bible verse and share what you each think about it.
So today, I encourage you to think of things you have in common with some of your friends you haven’t been in touch for a while and reconnect with them. Sharing and discussing about the topic of God, His Word, His love, and everything about Him, should keep you connected for the rest of your lives.