Heart Fellowship

I heard a news clip the other day about a recent survey in which most Americans indicated that they have no close friends. While it didn't surprise me, it saddened me. I believe that one of God's purposes in our lives is that we know "the friend that sticketh closer than a brother" [JESUS] and develop close friendships with others of like precious faith. Especially as we are in the last days where the devil's main weapon against us is deception, it is vital that we have others close to us who can help us not get caught in deception. True friends will disagree with us or even point out blind spots that make us uncomfortable. When I read John Eldredge's book Awaking the Dead the chapter about heart fellowships made a lasting impression on my heart. He describes the struggles and joys of having small heart fellowship groups where people are transparent and support each other in joy and sorrow. That is the theme of this year's family convention--Heart Fellowships. It is especially appropriate because God designed the family to be a heart fellowship where all love and care for each other. This past winter we had heart fellowship groups for our midweek meeting activity here. In introducing them, I wrote the following paragraph which I believe is still applicable.

It seems that the second most oft used way by which the Holy Spirit has led me is through the counsel of other godly people. Whether it is my wife, a close Christian friend, or someone over me in the Lord, listening carefully to what others are sensing is a vital aspect of being led by the Holy Spirit. That is why I feel more and more on my heart the necessity of all of us being actively involved in some kind of heart fellowship group--some place where you are at home and can freely share your needs and your heart and others can say the frank things that you need to hear. Without this we may be cutting ourselves off from a potential channel of communication for the Holy Spirit. Ideally it is with others in our church fellowship, but sometimes it may involve Christians outside our fellowship. It may be dedicated Christians in a community Bible study, a local Christian men's group, or some other format where we are truly able to open up our hearts and our lives and carry one another's burdens. It has to be where we feel no need to put on a front and look good, but can be transparent and accountable. If you don't have such an opportunity, I suggest that you pray that God will bring something along. I think that the wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing in this direction.

I would add that of course we need to be very selective to where we open up our hearts because there still is a need for separation from worldly ideas or unbiblical doctrine, but it is amazing to me how God's Spirit has been moving in the Christian world back to God's Word. There are many honest seeking hearts that we can have fellowship with. I think that the days of the Christian "lone ranger" who successfully works all by himself without relying on others is over and that we need to develop close Christian fellowship with others in order to succeed. Some personalities are more independent by nature than are others but regardless of personality, we need each other. The Bible is full of various admonitions about what we are to do "one to another." Here are a few: "Love one another," "Edify one another," "Accept one another," Greet one another," "Serve one another," "Be ye kind one to another," "Comfort one another," "Pray one for another," "Confess your sins one to another," "Admonishing one another," "Forgiving one another," "Exhort one another," "Have the same care one for another."