Romans 16 - Building Healthy Relationships

Today, Thursday April 29 Building Healthy Relationships Romans 16:12-13 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. You can’t help but notice in this chapter as Paul is sending greetings to these twenty-six individuals that he knew by name and was also recalling what they did, that they seem to have a common denominator. In the two verses above, you read the phrase, “labored in the Lord” at least twice and “chosen in the Lord”, once. What is this saying to us today? Paul’s close friends were people that also had a heart for ministry and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a fact that you begin to be like the people that you hang out with. In 2 Samuel 13:3 we read these words, “But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.” The story of Amnon, one of King David’s sons, is one of the saddest stories in the Bible.  His friend Jonadab gave him some advice and encouraged him to do something that eventually destroyed his life, brought great shame to his family and affected a whole nation. It all begin with, “But Amnon had a friend…” Over a period of many years I went to a state prison every Sunday morning and had the opportunity to get to know the inmates close enough to ask them personal questions. When I would ask them what happen or what led them to their incarceration, it seemed like most of them responded, “I was with my friends and we did…..” Today, I simply want to encourage you to build healthy relationships with others who want to live for the Lord and serve and please Him. You can be friends with everyone in the sense that you love and care for any and every one you encounter. But be careful about establishing close friendships that lead you away from your relationship with Jesus Christ. God bless!