Lean on Me: The Importance of Godly Friendships ... by current Aggie and 410 alum (student and senior helper) Eileen Lynch

Lean on Me: The Importance of Godly Friendships

    If I’ve taken one thing from the social aspect of my high school years, it’s the importance of cultivating Godly friendships. We were created as creatures of empathy: given emotions to sympathize with, celebrate with and value the influential people in our lives who help us become the best version of ourselves, capable of fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We are not intended to go through life alone. In the times when we don’t feel God’s presence or understand His plan, we turn to our friends to keep us on the path towards fulfilling our purpose in life. But what constitutes a Godly friendship and what makes it so valuable? If you’ve ever been on an EYM retreat, you’re probably familiar with the “Lean on Me” icebreaker. Aside from being a certified BOP, the song embodies what it means to both have Godly friends, as well as what it means to be a Godly friend.
“Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow”

    Unfortunately, some instances in our lives cause us to experience pain and confusion, questioning why God would possibly give us something that seems to be beyond our capacity to handle. In these moments of despair, it can be all too easy to turn away from God, but a Godly friend encourages you to not stray from the path, instead challenging you to submerge yourself deeper in your pursuit of the Lord. A Godly friend allows us to recognize our pain, but not to submit ourselves to it; instead encouraging us to lay it all down at the foot of the cross.

“Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on”

    Apart from prayer, a large source of our strength comes from the knowledge that we are able to rely on the ones we love and that they, in turn, are comfortable enough to allow us to take up their crosses with them. As important as it is to have a Godly friend to depend on in times of spiritual darkness, it is equally as important to reciprocate this and serve as a Godly friend to others in their times of need. In our times of weakness, our strength can be derived from the reassurance of God’s plan for our life and the unmistakable fact that we were each created to fulfill a particular purpose in life; a purpose created by God to glorify God and allow the world to know His love. We are called to create relationships that glorify God, and that is a task that simply cannot be completed alone. It is through community with one another that we are able to live for His glory and allow the world to know His love as it is radiated through others.


“So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on”

    We are creatures of community who find solace in the knowledge that we are not alone. We turn to Scripture or to prayer, desperately pleading for deliverance and attentively listening to hear God’s call. The worldly things we allow to consume our lives drown out God’s call for us to fulfill our purpose in life. A Godly friend recognizes the sin we have allowed to infiltrate our life and calls us out with love in an effort to help us fully love God in all that we do. Godly friendships are centered around Christ and rooted in obedience to His word. By calling us out with love, a Godly friend sparks a sense of humility that inspires us to build up the Kingdom with acts of virtue. In our times of desperation, we think our sin is too big or our problem is too small for our huge God to handle. Our God is huge, and for that reason, we can find comfort in His might and mercy whenever we cast our cares on Him. Our relationships with Godly friends teach us how we should approach prayer. Just as you speak in confidence and humility with a Godly friend regarding your situation, it is this same approach of conversational dialogue that we should adopt while in prayer with our God who knows our needs, desires, and burdens before we can even express them.

‘If there is a load you have to bear
That you can’t carry
I’m right up the road
I’ll share your load”

As disciples, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, offering our brothers and sisters a helping hand in times of distress. We are called to not only pray for our brothers and sisters, but help them by carrying their crosses. While some friends may simply stand idle in times of need, a Godly friend offers to share your burden with you and selflessly help carry your cross.

Brothers and sisters, I pray that you are able to encounter Godly friendships that bring richness, fullness, and vitality to your life. If you doubt the presence of Godly friends in your life, I encourage you to think back on your fellow peers in 410. Your classmates are the embodiment of what it means to be a Godly friend and many of my own Godly friendships were created in the Den. I challenge you to find the people who make your heart soar and eliminate from your life those who make your heart sore. I pray that you are able to learn from each other, but more importantly, I pray that you are able to lean on each other.

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