warring friends

Relationships are the currency of God's Kingdom. Nothing else is as
valuable in the culture of heaven as our intimate connection to God and
one another. If this is true, then a passion for thriving, healthy
relationships must dominate the vision of every Christ-follower. The term
relationship is broad, but we will focus on the INTIMATE frienships in
your life-the one, two or three people who know you best. It may or may
not be a romantic relationship, but it is where your soul goes deep.
Depth and commitment are what separate "hanging out" from
life-transforming interdependence. Friendship is a commitment forged in
the HEAT of battle. And until your relationship is tested by conflict,
you don't really know what you have. LASTING friendships use every
obstacle as a means to know each other deeply and reinforce and enduring
commitment to each other's good.
People should always be more important than projects. Today's culture is
consumed with production and evaluates people on their ability to
generate excellent work, not on their ability to nurture healthy
relationships. This is why frienships drift into functional partnerships
instead of actual sharing life. In order to build a healthy intimate
frienship you need both quality time and quantity of time, so that you
can get past the superficial, to take the masks off and be real.
Building relationships that can go the distance combines the resources of
time with the skill of intention. Relationships can't be rushed and more
than you can hurry along the blooming of a flower. Both require adequate
time and care. Care comes from being INTENTIONAL-using your time with
your friends to deepen your understanding of one another, to touch the
hidden places of the soul and to contribute out of your own soul.
Real Relationships are built when you guard your brother's back and know
that he has yours. When you know that your failures, your triumphs and
your destiny are owned and carried by your cloest friends. This is the
climate that empowers grwoth and transformation, whether the context is
marriage or frienship or CHURCH.
The Bible affirms these things in the picture of David and Jonathon.
Jonathon is nearly always mentioned in the same breath with his friend
David. It is the picture that true friendship has a redemptive power that
surpasses the relationship itself and moves us towards our destiny. David
and Jonathon both knew that they could not face the enemy without a
relationship that was utterly committed to their own good. And so they
committed themselves to each other in FRIENDSHIP, vowing to guard one
another, love one another, seek the highest good of another...so that
they could both succeed."(the NEW REBELLION)

So....wouldn't it be smart to INVEST, be INTENTIONAL and to build
relationships that can last a life time.
ALL FOR YOU