Even Superman Needs A Friend

Scripture

When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn’t settle down. The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn’t relax because we didn’t know how it would turn out. Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus. We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance came in what he told us about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time! 2 Corinthians 7:5-7

Observation

I so appreciate the honesty Paul expresses in his letter. Most of us would assume a man who wrote the majority of the New Testament would never get stressed or face fear. Yet, right here, in black and white, we see this Spirit-filled super apostle who had been used by God in mighty signs and wonders unable to find peace in the midst of his circumstances. How did God lift up this downcast leader? The arrival of his good friend and fellow minister made all the difference in the world. Paul had felt alone and was certain the Corinthian church was mad at him for the corrections he had brought them. Instead, Titus not only brought friendship near, but also from afar as Paul heard there was an entire church who was standing with him in prayer and support. Notice the power of friendship in this passage. Friendships don't just happen. It required an intentionality on the part of Titus to travel to Paul and to also collect words of encouragement to bring to him. The fights in the church didn’t suddenly cease when Titus showed up, they just didn’t seem as overwhelming as when Paul was alone.  It’s a powerful reminder that no matter how self-sufficient a person might look we are only as strong as the friends that surround us. Sometimes, the manifest presence of God in our difficult seasons is best known through a familiar face, a warm embrace, and kind words that chase the fears away!

Application

There was a study released on friendship in 2008 by professors from four universities called the Social Support and the Perception of Geographical Slant in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Participants in their studies were asked to estimate the incline of a hill in front of them. Over and over again, those who were accompanied by a friend (or even thought of a friend) estimated the hill to be less steep than participants who were alone. The researchers concluded that: “This research demonstrates that an interpersonal phenomenon, social support, can influence visual perception.” It may seem obvious that the support or presence of a friend encourages or keeps us going. This study suggests that the presence of a friend can actually change our physical and emotional perceptions. I recently saw the trailer for the new Superman movie. I’m not sure what put him in such a state of emergency, but the man of steel who can fly plummeted from the sky and fell with a thud in the snow. He couldn’t even move as he bled out on the snow. All he could do was whistle. Then, off in the distance a flurry of snow could be been seen as his faithful companion Krypto ran to his aid to carry him back to the fortress of Solitude. I think it’s fitting that even Superman needs a friend. Even a fortress of solitude is filled with those who could help and heal him. Each of us is facing insurmountable mountains that must be climbed, but we will fall in to despair if we try to climb them alone. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if either of them falls, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. The mountains aren’t going to shrink with a friend by our side, but our strength will increase and the summit will not seem so far away. If we want go fast we can go alone. If we want to go far we must go together.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for the many friends You have put in my life that have been a strength to me through the highs and lows of life. I specifically want to thank you for my friend Agner who is walking through a hard choice right now as he leads his church. We have been there for each other over the past five years and I pray that I could be a strength for him in the difficult days ahead. This is a reminder to to me that friendships don’t just happen. Let me continue to cultivate deeper friendships in my life and not use busyness as an excuse. I’m not superman. I'm just a man who needs the strength You give me through those around me!