Proverbs 18 and the healthy body

Do we NEED friends?

Has God built us in a way where, if we are not in fellowship with others, we miss out not only on the blessings of human companionship, but somehow shortchange our potential for growth in Him?

When I spend time with my brothers and sisters in the family of Christ, am I looking for a good time? For something for myself? Or am I looking, in some way, to grow together towards Him?

Are my Christian friendships the kind of places where I practice kindness, gentleness, self-control, longsuffering, and forgiveness? Or do I cling to my pride and a false picture of my self-sufficiency and [fool myself into thinking I can] hide my imperfections from others?

Am I more worried about keeping my human "relationships" in tact than about obeying God's direction in His Word?

In the middle of mulling all of these questions, I remembered Proverbs 18:1, "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment." That seemed to answer my "do we need friends?" question. But when I looked up this chapter, I saw that it is all -- from start to finish -- a primer on getting along with others.

As always, it's best to read the entire chapter in context, but here are some examples of its wisdom:

v. 2 - A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.

v. 8 - The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.

v. 19 - A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

v. 20 - A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

v. 21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

v. 24 - A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Fruitful friendships don't happen by accident. They take work, humility, patience, and love. But how worth it will it be if we can help each other to know Christ more fully and spur each other to accomplish His kingdom work on this earth!