Value Your Friendships

The View From Above: Thoughts to Help With Everyday Life

July 10, 2026

Pastor Paul Stephens

Value Your Friendships

Value friendships.

I don’t understand people who can discard relationships. It’s deeply troubling and indicates that something is deficient in the heart.

Scripture Focus

1 Peter 2:17

“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

The Amplified Translation says:

“Show respect for all people [treat them honorably], love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God, honor the king.”

Do your actions reflect a love and honoring of the brotherhood, or something more selfish?

When self prevails, we become willing to discard what is actually one of the most valuable things we have in life:

Friends. Brethren.

The word “brotherhood” in the above verse means “a family of brothers.”

That is what we are in Christ Jesus.

This is nothing to take lightly and certainly nothing to diminish or cut out of our lives.

How we relate to, treat, and think about our brothers and sisters in Christ is something we are going to be held accountable for.

We are in covenant relationship with one another for the purpose of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.

The church is made up of people in lifelong bonds of relationship, fellowship, and covenant.

We are committed to one another to love, edify, encourage, and strengthen so that, by virtue of these strong bonds, we provide a foundation to advance world evangelism.

It isn’t just about us.

Get over your hurt feelings.

It’s about something far greater.

Jesus said:

Scripture Focus

John 13:35

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Today’s Challenge

Take time today to pray about your covenant bonds of relationship.

Take action to reinforce them.

Pursue peace.

Reconcile.

Forgive.

Above all, reflect the love of Jesus Christ toward one another and get rid of the selfish impulses that diminish the value of friendship.