Friendship by the Numbers - Intimacy of the Few
May 24, 2022
Jennie Allen
Bible teacher, founder of IF:Gathering
Imagine doing life with a few good friends who encourage you and challenge you-where you are fully known and loved. That is what I want for you. There is power in being close with your few.
One of the biggest blessings in my life has been the friendships I've built.
My friends are like family. They've helped me process major life changes, and I know they'd do it again in a pinch. My friend Kelly Nixon has become a mentor to my daughter, and I get to watch God provide the most amazing things through my friends.
I have an entire village that has expanded beyond my friends. When I look at these people and the experiences we've shared, I'm reminded that it's so worth it. So, never give up on pursuing your people.
It's important to remember that you don't need a million friends to build a village of your own.
While I am a huge proponent of pursuing friendships and putting yourself out there, there is beauty in having a small circle of friends. We may not have the capacity to keep up with a bunch of friends. So, you can just choose your few and stick together.
Pursuing any kind of friendship takes work, and you won't always get things right. There will be seasons where things aren't necessarily going your way, but then you put your head down and pursue again. You look around at who God has given you and start back over, and that's okay.
Through all this pursuance, remember that Jesus is the Best Friend you could ever have.
He wants you to share your life with Him because He wants to be there for you. I have watched this be true again and again in my life. I don't talk to anyone more than I talk to Jesus, and it is the best thing to have Him with me. And that is accessible to you, even if you haven't begun your walk with Jesus yet.
An intimate friend group, or even a pair of great friends, can also open you up to God's Word. So, read your bible and watch God change you from the inside out. Invite the Holy Spirit into your life. The Holy Spirit infuses the way you think and live and helps you understand the Bible in a new way.
Jump into a local church to find your intimate circle. Tell them you're just starting to walk with Jesus and need to know what that looks like. Ask for help and then pray that God will bring the right people into your life.
The Creator designed you to walk in community and to be known and loved by others. We do not walk perfectly or without sin but confessing it and knowing you're loved as you do is possible. I hope you see the potential around you, and that you start to notice the people you may have missed.
WE AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS LONELY.
In a world that's both more connected and more isolating than ever before, we're often tempted to do life alone, whether because we're so busy or because relationships feel risky and hard.