Immeasurably More In Our Friendships | Immeasurably More | Week 4

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
John 15:9-12 LSB
 
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13 ESV 

Article | Confession: A Practical Guide by Adele Calhoun and Renovare
“Every time we confess how we have missed the mark of God’s love and truth, we open ourselves up to the mending work of the cross.”

Article | Narnia Meets Middle-Earth: The Friendship of Lewis and Tolkien by Devin Brown and Desiring God
“Tolkien wrote in his diary, ‘Friendship with Lewis compensates for much, and besides giving constant pleasure and comfort has done me much good.’”

This week, try the spiritual practice of confession. You may not be ready to confess your sins to another person or to someone in your LifeGroup – that’s okay! We can all take another step in growing in the practice of confession.

Instead of offering a general confession in your prayer time this week, take the time to specifically name your sins before God. Reflect on areas where you have fallen short, broken relationships, or when you acted against God’s love and truth. This specific naming of sin brings self-awareness and opens you to the work of forgiveness.

Adele Calhoun wrote this about being truly honest with God in prayer: “We hand over the pretense, image management, manipulation, control and self-obsession. In the presence of the Holy One we give up on appearing good and fixing our sin. We lay down our ability to change by the power of the self. We turn to Jesus and seek forgiveness.” Hand over and lay down the things you need to and turn to Jesus – you will find forgiveness and healing.

Friendships are built off of conversations. Very deep, I know. We all realize that but I’m not sure we live and prioritize our lives in that reality. We need space and time for meaningful conversations so that we can grow, deepen trust, and share our lives with each other. Are you creating space and time for conversations to occur?

One of the articles in the Resources section this week tells the story of the friendship between authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Their friendship grew because of all of the time they spent engaged in conversation. They spent lots of time around a fire or taking walks together and sharing ideas. They created the space and time for meaningful conversations.

So how can we create margin for more meaningful conversations? Try to prioritize face-to-face interactions. Whenever possible, attempt to engage in person instead of relying on technology. This can allow for deeper connections and more genuine exchanges can take place. Allocate time for open-ended conversations and create margin in your schedule to connect with others.

How does your physical space promote conversations? Most of our living rooms center on technology. Our couches and chairs face our televisions. Try experimenting with your physical space and think about how you could reorient a physical space to encourage conversations. My favorite has become our front room where we have no technology and the seating faces each other. I have had some of the most meaningful conversations and received ministering prayer in that room.

Pray that God will illuminate the time and space for conversations. Ask that you might be a conduit of his love and grace to someone this week through the power of meaningful conversation.

Blessings,
Lydia Long