Week 7 | Wednesday

Read: Proverbs 27:17

Relationships are an essential element of becoming more complete. Becoming more like Jesus means embracing different kinds of relationships. After all, that’s what he did. The word “disciple” is used in the gospel accounts to refer to the crowds that followed Jesus and the 12 men who followed him closely and received extra training from him directly. Not everyone who literally followed Jesus was in a close relationship with him or with each other.

That’s the way it is for us with our Sunday morning gatherings. Think back to the concentric circles. The people in those crowds would have primarily fallen into the outermost circles. They would not have had opportunities (or maybe interest) in getting to know each other in any kind of intimate way. The makeup of those crowds would have changed as Jesus traveled from town to town. Some would have followed for a while, but many didn’t.

The 12 (also known as apostles) stuck it out. They were invited into a closer circle than the crowds could reach. They were Jesus’ group. By being in a more intimate relationship with him, they got more time with him, AND they had more time with each other. They would have had lots of time to talk about his teaching, the example he set, the miracles they saw, and how they were being challenged by all of it. Their group was together for about three years. Then, Jesus left, and they split up to start groups of their own.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus leaned into a special relationship with James, John, and Peter, giving them special preparation, teaching, and training more than once. This was the equivalent of Jesus’ (and their) innermost circle.

Spiritual friends are the people in your inner circle who also follow Jesus. They are the people with whom you can trust your personal struggles and victories. They pray for you often while simultaneously challenging and encouraging you. They text you when they have an epiphany, discover something new in Scripture, or just have praises to share. You do the same. These relationships not only spur you on in growth but also bring excitement, accountability, and joy to the journey.  

Do you have that person? If so, who is it? If not, who might that be? Choose someone at a similar place on this spiritual journey who can wonder, ask, dream, and wrestle with things just like you do. Someone with whom you can sit down in the presence of Jesus and process what he’s telling you both.

Write the name of your spiritual friend here. You don’t need to tell or ask them. Just lean into the relationship you already have. If you’re not sure who it is, pray about it and meditate on the name God gives you.