I recently met up with a friend, and it was awkward. Not because we don't get on, or because we have nothing to say to each other, not at all. He is the sort of friend that I would lay down my life for. But our meeting was awkward and I'm glad it was.
You see, we have been on a journey of accountability for some time now.
A journey I was reminded of recently when Exodus 17 was preached in church. It's about a battle that the Israelites were fighting. When Moses held the staff of God up, they were winning, but when it was lowered they started to lose. It took two friends, Aaron and Hur, to set a stone for Moses to sit on and help support him when he was flagging.
My friend is my Aaron, and I am his.
And when I flag in my walk with Jesus, he is there to support. And when I fail, he is there to point the way to Christ. It's a grace-filled moment.
But we recognise that there are moments when grace has grit. When friendship, true friendship, is asking hard questions about personal holiness, integrity and spiritual honesty.
So it was awkward. But out of that crucible, God is honoured and lives are set back on the path to Christ.
How about you? Do you have people who are not afraid to make your conversations awkward? Its the best friendship you might ever have.
As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.
Proverbs
