Friendship

Whenever I hear anything said about friendship these days I am all ears and usually struck to the core wondering and examining my our heart, life, motives as to whether I am truly a good friend. Let me back up to why I am blogging about this. Yesterday's sermon talked a little about authentic friendship. The definition of a friend that was given was this:

"A trustworthy peer with whom we mutually choose to lovingly live with by seeking unique access and service for God's glory and our mutual good."- Mark Driscoll

Our pastor pointed out the words, "peer", "mutually choose", "live with", and "God's glory". The word that gets me the most every time is the "live with". I know that it doesn't seem like it should be interesting or even difficult, but its the one that trips me up the most. He said that living with doesn't mean cohabitation, but that it simply means a co-sharing of activities, emotions, hearts, etc. This means that the friend shares their "junk" with me and I with them. This means that there is risk involved. This means that there is risk because of the fact that you have to trust this person with your heart, thoughts, and even sin, and KNOW that they will care for it as you care for theirs. Its always hardest for me to trust my heart, to be completely vulnerable and let people/ a person into that part of my life. This is the challenge that hits me every time I hear anything about friendship, "Am I doing my part in being a friend? Am I letting that person into my heart, into my sin and letting them help me through it? Do I trust the Lord enough to guard my heart though I share it with others?" Sometimes, most times, my answer is no.