Think about the various friendly relationships that you have. What do you talk about with these people? Men in particular can be guilty of limiting conversation to weather, sports, work and family. Having casual, superficial friendships is fine. Friends likes these can still be fun. But we need something more than that if we want the best possible life for ourselves, because life is more than entertainment. Life is about dealing with problems. Life is about helping other people. Life is about serving God. To excel in things like these, we need to have people we can confide in and brainstorm with. We need people who will tell us the truth even if it hurts and hold us accountable if we go astray. In short, we need real friends and we need to be real friends.
In Proverbs 27:17 it says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I don't think this is talking about football trivia or pick up lines. This is a sharpening with regards to spiritual matters and making godly decisions in all aspects of our lives. This sharpening happens as we discuss God's Word among our friends.
If you don't have friends like this, where can they be found? Perhaps you might find a friend like this at work or among the parents of your child's friends, but odds are against you. It is among the people of your congregation that your chances are best. It probably takes more than simply meeting somebody at church, however. There has to be the opportunity to get personal on a deeper level. For me, that is the main reason why involvement in a small group, like a ChristCare group, is so valuable.