Faithbase

Ashes to Beauty, Day 4, The Beans, or The Background. Continuing through Matthew Chapter 8, we'll read another account of Jesus' miraculous healing abilities. The verse, Matthew Chapter 8, Verses 18-20. Some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a mat, and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. The Scene What does this mean to me and how can I apply it to my life today? Friends are so important. This is a beautiful display of true friendship. These friends went to whatever lengths necessary to help their friend in need. I hope you are blessed to have many great friendships in your life, because inevitably, things are going to happen. Emergencies will pop up out of nowhere, and having great friends you can trust makes life easier. The amazing thing about the men in this story was not necessarily the actions they took, but the faith driving their actions. These men did whatever it took to lay their friend at Jesus' feet. Why? Because they believed that Jesus could heal their friend. Friendships rooted in faith are the most precious of all. Do you have friends in your life who encourage you in your faith? Do you have friends that you trust with the innermost parts of your heart knowing the advice they give aligns with your morals and convictions? If you do, consider yourself blessed. Friends are wonderful, but friends who share a common faith are extra special. The reason has nothing to do with social classes or to follow any made-up rules of Christianity. The reason we need these friendships is because faith friends are able to see you the way Jesus sees you. They're able to see the amazing creation he is making you to be. They understand your struggles from a different point of view, and they encourage you to be that person Jesus is calling you to be. I do have to say, not all faith friends are made equally. Unfortunately, I've had Christian friends in my life who didn't make me feel so precious or loved. Their judgments filled my heart with guilt over past mistakes, and instead of helping me understand Jesus' message more clearly, they used him against me. I pray you never experience this, but chances are you have. Because Christian or not, it's human nature to judge a person or situation. So be wise. Discern for yourself how your friendships are making you feel. If you feel lighter, better, or happier after your time with them, then they are worth their weight in gold. If not, if you leave worrying over what they thought or feel like you have to pretend to be someone that you're not, friends, they simply aren't worth it. I encourage you to pray over your friendships today. Ask God to send sweet angel friends to lift you up and encourage you to be the version of yourself that he created you to be. Together, may we all grow closer to living and loving as Jesus did.