“Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5:18-20 NLT

This story about the paralyzed man speaks to how important it is for us to have what I call Kingdom minded friends. We all need someone to keep us accountable, encourage us, fight for us, and have our best interests at heart. Having someone you can depend on that wants the best for you spiritually is important.

This story in Luke shows us how friendship should look. Have you ever told someone about something you were struggling with, only for them to say, “Man, that’s a shame?” The paralyzed man’s friends didn’t say, “Oh well, you’re paralyzed.” They heard about Jesus, a man who could heal, and took their friend to see Him. We know these were real friends because when they got to the house, there was a  large crowd, and they could not get through. However, they continued. They took their friend to the roof. Can you imagine how strenuous this task was? There was a sea of people around the house where Jesus was. They went through the crowd to the house’s roof carrying their paralyzed friend. It couldn’t have been an easy task to complete. After all that, they removed part of the roof to lower their friend right in front of Jesus. Because of their faith and determination, Jesus healed the paralyzed man. I believe this was also because He wanted to let us know this is how we should care for one another.

When you have a spiritual support system, you know they care about your well-being. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not; they love you for who you are. Like in this story, they will fight for your healing. These friends won’t be throwing their good deeds in your face later. They do things for you because they care, not expecting something in return. We can all use some friends like that.

The Bible gives us several scriptures that reference having support.

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoys its resultsonlyif you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

James 3:18 MSG

“If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”

Galatians 6:1-3 NLT

The Bible makes it clear that we will need help from other believers. We won’t always be able to go at things alone. I’m still praying that I can experience this type of community for myself, and I know God will provide. Let God lead you to the right people. He led Jesus to His disciples; He can surely lead you to a community that you can do life with.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for all you have done and are doing. We know that we are nothing without You. Help us strengthen our faith in You. Give us discernment before we enter into relationships. Lead us to people who will have our best interest at heart and will love us for who we are. Protect us from the evil one and keep us in Your arms. It’s in the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.