Life can feel like a long, uphill hike. The road is not always easy. It can be filled with challenges, temptations, and moments of weakness. But here’s the good news: we don’t need to do it alone.
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The Journey Is Better Together
During a recent men’s hiking trip, I realized how much we need one another. The mountain was tough: 13 miles long and nearly 5,000 feet of elevation. Half an hour in, I was already out of breath! What kept me going were the brothers beside me. They sang worship songs, encouraged me, and lifted my spirits when I felt like quitting.
In life, we’re also hiking uphill. We face spiritual battles, daily worries, and the enemy’s schemes to pull us away from God. But God never meant for us to climb alone.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (NIV)
We need friends for this life journey. We need people who help us up when we fall and remind us of God’s promises when life gets hard.
Be Vulnerable
Even Jesus needed his friends. Before being wrongly crucified, he was in deep sorrow. What did he do? He brought Peter, James, and John with him to Gethsemane to pray:
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Matthew 26:38 (NIV)
Jesus was honest. He didn’t pretend that everything was okay. He opened his heart and asked his friends to stay with him. That’s true vulnerability.
Being vulnerable can be scary. It means opening up to the possibility of being hurt or misunderstood. But it’s also the doorway to real connection and love.
When was the last time you let someone see you struggle? When was the last time you said, “I’m not okay”?
God wants us to live in relationships where we can be truly seen—both by Him and by others.
We are Created for Connection
In Jesus’ time, community was everything. People lived, worked, and worshiped together daily. Their identity came from belonging to a group: family, tribe, sect, and village. Today, many of us live isolated lives. We rush through our days, distracted by technology and too busy for deep connection.
No wonder so many people feel lonely. According to a 2023 American Psychiatric Association survey, nearly one in three adults feels lonely at least once a week.
That’s not God’s intention.
God designed us to depend on one another. Solomon, one of the wisest and wealthiest men who ever lived, came to this same conclusion:
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)
The Power of Spiritual Friendship
Spiritual friendships make our journey stronger:
- Better work: We accomplish more together.
- Help when we fall: Friends lift us up when we stumble.
- Warmth and intimacy: We feel safe and known.
- Protection: Together, we can stand firm against life’s challenges.
But the key to all this is being vulnerable. Without it, we drift into isolation. We become passive-aggressive, guilt-trip others, or lash out because we’re afraid to admit our needs.
You are worthy of love and connection. Not because of what you do, but because God made you that way. Believing that truth allows you to open up and receive help with humility and grace.
Three Ways to Walk Together
1. Invite God into Your Journey
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Psalm 139:23 (NIV)
Before we can be real with others, we need to be real with God. Let Him search your heart and lead you.
2. Invite Friends into Your Journey
My soul is overwhelmed… Stay here and keep watch with me.
Matthew 26:38 (NIV)
Make space for friendship. Don’t wait until you’re desperate. Invite people in now. Create rhythms of connection where love and care can grow.
3. Invite Yourself into Others’ Journey
I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.
Philippians 2:20 (NIV)
Timothy showed genuine concern for others. Ask questions. Be curious. Care deeply. Real friendship is a two-way street.
Final Thought
We’re all on this journey together. There will be labor, hardship, and moments of loneliness. But when we invite God and others into our lives, we find strength, love, and joy that no mountain can take away.
So, let’s not just go to church—let’s be the church. Let’s walk together as friends for the journey.
