Friends and Your Calling: How They Relate

Anyone who has been a Christian for very long at all quickly discovers two sometimes seemingly contradictory ideas to be true. First, Christians need the support of each other in order to thrive in a world that is often hostile to Christian beliefs. Second, if we are going to fulfill our God-given destiny and affect the world around us for Christ through our specific calling, we must allow God to place us in environments that are often hostile toward what we believe and hold dear. How does one resolve this dilemma? The account of the first recorded miracle after Pentecost provides some key insights.

After two disciples of Jesus, Peter and John, had done a good deed by healing a man who had been unable to walk from birth, they found themselves unwillingly before hostile leadership to account for their actions. These "leaders" knew that the excellence and godly character of these men threatened their power base, and they were going to do anything necessary to stop them. In an effort to curtail the rapidly growing influence, the establishment leaders had these men unjustly whipped for healing a disabled man in Jesus' name. Talk about injustice! Following their unjust treatment, I see four options Peter and John had available to them, three negative, (but certainly understandable), and one positive, (but requiring a huge sacrifice on their part).

First, they could have denied Christ concluding that any person not able or willing to shield them from such abuse was not worthy of their worship. This would have merely confirmed the views of the religious leaders who believed Jesus to be a fraud.

Second, they could have simply laid low and essentially concealed their light by giving up on their mission without actually denying Christ outright. This would have been tantamount to quitting – giving up on the mission altogether. It would not have been as severe as denying Christ publicly, but their chances of having any real influence the world around them would have been next to nothing. Ideally, they could at least live life as a "follower" of Christ without endangering their lives or the lives of their family members. Few could have blamed them if they had opted for this strategy. The chances are they could have found people sympathetic to the message of Christ, who nonetheless, would have encouraged this approach for the safety of themselves and their families. It is a very common strategy in many workplace environments today and it greatly hinders the spread of the gospel because people fail to see any real difference between the believers and unbelievers. Thankfully, Peter and John rejected this option and you and I are recipients of the gospel today because they rejected this option.

Finally, on the negative side of things, they could have chosen to go back to their friends and act like victims of an obviously unjust system. They could have even "spiritualized" their ranting and complaining by praying for divine vengeance against those "evil leaders" or even more nobly, acting like martyrs. Thankfully, Peter and John rejected all of these options in favor of a much more positive response that ultimately impacted generations.

Peter and John wisely went back to their godly friends, not to complain, but for positive support. Rather than emphasizing the negative that happened to them, their friends rallied around them by helping them to stay focused on the importance of the mission in spite of the injustice. True, they openly acknowledged the injustice, but it never became the primary focus. Notice what happened on their release:

“On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord,’ they said, ‘you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.”’ ‘Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly Act4:23-32).

These friends did what all true friends do: they acknowledged their pain while keeping them focused on their calling. They did this through their intentional prayer and close- knit fellowship. We all need friends who can encourage us, speak into our life, and keep us focused on our calling regardless of the situations we face trying to do God’s will. Two or three good friends who will keep you focused are worth more than 1 million friends who will let you give up! We should make it our goal in seasons of relative ease and prosperity to build quality friendships that will walk with us during the times of spiritual challenge and famine. At the same time, we shouldlimit the influence of well-meaning people who have no appreciation for our mission. These people are part of our mission field, not our true friends. Our true friends, (including those we have to connect with long-distance), will serve as divinely sent lights to help us walk through the paths of darkness. We need people who do this for us, and we need to set the example by being there for others first.

God has called us to be bright lights in an otherwise dark world. Oral Roberts, founding president of Oral Roberts University, expressed that this way in his understanding of God's call on the University: "raise up your students to hear my voice and go where my light is seen dim and my voice is heard small and my power is not known…" That expression in many ways articulates what God desires to do with all of us. Whether it is being kind to a rude customer for a few minutes, or learning to love and obstinate coworker we rub up against daily, or being a loyal friend to another believer in need, God wants us to realize we are always on mission and every minute matters.