For those who were in Life Group this past Sunday morning, thanks for the great discussion!
Due to time, we had to gloss over the section on friendship (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12), but it's a great passage of scripture. Consider studying through it on your own this week and thinking about some of the implications of this section. Here are a few "thinking points":
- It appears the friendships or relationships mentioned in this passage are deep, authentic ones. These advantages are not likely to come from surface acquaintances.
- The reference to lying down together is not intended to be suggestive at all. This was a practical "need for survival" kind of activity. In a broader sense it can be viewed as providing mutual comfort or help.
- This passage hints at accountability. If you have friends holding you accountable, you are less likely to fall down.
- To build deep friendships, you have to be a friend. You must be willing to invest in others, help others up when they fall, etc.
- It takes humility to cultivate friendships and, in particular, ask for help when you need it.
- Do you think Jesus' words in Luke 16:9 have any relation to this passage in Ecclesiastes 4?
Finally, there was a question we didn't have time to talk about:
"What can we do as a Life Group to facilitate authentic friendships?"
We would be thrilled to see your comments on this blog with ideas about what we as Journey Life Group can do to help in this area!