Monday, February 25, 2008

The Importance of Friendship

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)

On Friday night eleven girlfriends and myself got together for a night of Bunco. You could tell it had been way too long since we had been able to get together by the fact that we couldn't quit gabbing. One friend even drove an hour and a half each way just to be there. We spent the next couple of hours talking, laughing, eating, playing, and enjoying each other's company. We now have plans to make it a monthly event.

I know what you're thinking already: Where in the world is she going with this, and how does it constitute something spiritual?

So here's my answer: God created us for relationships, plain and simple. And for some reason He hard-wired us women to need those relationships with other women even more than men do with other men. (*Note: For scientific back-up of this fact, read the 2002 groundbreaking UCLA study that was done on women and stress.... www.anapsid.org/cnd/gender/tendfend.html).

I know that most of the time we hear the above verses being quoted in the context of not forsaking our involvement in the fellowship of the local church. And most of us have no problem with that one. Where we do fall short is in our meetings with each other. It's in those personal one-on-one (or one-on-eleven) times that we are truly able to connect with each other, to encourage each other, to support each other and to help each other grow. It's where we get our energy and where we are able to let go of the rest of the world for a while.

Life is busy; I know that. I also know that there are certain seasons of our lives where our priorities need to be focused on other people and things (namely, our families). However, we still need those friendships with the women in our lives, even if the friendships look different or are scaled back for a while.

Find a way to connect with the one, two or three women who are most important to you. Take the time, no matter how small, to "motivate one another to acts of love and good works". God created us to need one another. Who are we to question our Creator, right?.....