Are you developing healthy circles of friendship or are you being conformed to just a network of fragmented friendships. The scripture says that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. One of his evil tactics is to fragment our relationships and keep us busy and attempting to manage a growing linear stream of relationships. Social media when used properly can be a blessing, but more often than not it magnifies this hectic attempt to manage superficial linear relationships. Jesus came to bring life and this life is mainly manifested through healthy circles of deep lasting relationships. In Mark chapter 3 verses 7-19 we can see Jesus establishing these healthy circles of relationship. We all should be learning to develop relationships within each of these three circles of relationship.
The outer circle of friendship which is represented by the “crowd” would represent general acquaintances. We can call this circle Shared Communication. The middle circle of friendship would be represented by the larger group of disciples following Jesus. We can call this circle Shared Commitment. The inner circle of friendship would be represented by the 12 disciples. We can call this circle Shared Communion. Now there are many different levels of friendship within each of these circles. Even within the inner circle of Jesus’ 12 disciples there is the inner 3, Peter, James and John who all experienced things with Jesus that the other disciples did not. The exciting thing is that while Jesus was on the earth the inner 12 laid the foundation for the Church, but now that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father the number who can come into His inner circle is limitless. The question is are we willing to move from the crowd into His inner circle. Do we really want to know Jesus that intimately? Developing an inner circle of friends – Shared Communion – is impossible without developing intimate shared communion with Jesus.
Which of these circles are you focusing on most? Our fragmented world and all the forces within it are trying to keep you just in the shared communication circle where there is no transformation or depth or stability. We are islands weak and easy prey for the enemy to pounce on us if our friendships are just in the Shared Communication circle.
Where is your family fitting into these circles? It is way too easy to leave our family in the outer circle rather than move them into our inner circle.
Man-to-man and woman-to-woman relationships. Outside of relationship with our spouse, our friendship development should be same-sex. There is great confusion about this today. The enemy has convinced some men that they can be best friends with a woman and has convinced some women that they can be best friends with men. This is just a lie that will be devastating to developing lasting healthy relationships. Jesus and the scriptures modeled the priority of man-to-man and woman-to-woman relationships. (Review Mark 3:7-19, 2 Timothy 2:2 and Titus 2:3-4)
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