As we continue our series on The Rhythm of God, we’ve been asking a simple but important question:
What does it look like for God to rule over the everyday rhythm of our lives?
We’ve looked at this personally—learning to see God in this time and this place.
We’ve looked at it in the home—building families where faith shapes identity and activity.
We’ve looked at it corporately—letting the kingdom of God be the “crowd” we follow.
Now we turn to something just as foundational:
Built for Friendship
We are built for relationships. That’s not accidental—it’s intentional. God designed us to seek out friend groups. You can see it everywhere in culture. Shows like Friends, Cheers, Seinfeld, The Office, and Parks and Recreation all revolve around the same idea: life is lived in circles.
But why?
Why did God wire us this way?
Because friendship isn’t just something we enjoy—it’s something He intends to use.
How Friendship Works
Think about making hot chocolate.
There’s the science of boiling water—molecules heating up, kinetic energy increasing. That’s interesting, but knowing the science doesn’t give you hot chocolate. You have to actually put water in the pot and turn on the heat.
And even then, boiling water isn’t the goal. Drinking hot chocolate is.
Friendship works the same way.
We understand the “science” of it. A good friend is someone who loves you, is loyal to you, and is willing to sacrifice for you. We don’t have to be taught that—we already know it. We crave it. And when we don’t have it, we feel something missing.
Jesus defined friendship this way:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
Love. Loyalty. Sacrifice.
That’s how friendship works.
But knowing how it works is not enough. You have to engage in it. You have to “put the water in the pot.”
Why Friendship Exists
Here’s where we often get it wrong.
We assume God gave us friendship so we can have a better life. So we can feel supported. So we can enjoy community. And while those are real benefits, they are not the ultimate purpose.
Jesus didn’t gather the twelve disciples just so they could enjoy each other’s company.
He gathered them to grow them.
In Luke 6:12–16, Jesus intentionally calls twelve men to walk closely with Him. They lived together, learned together, struggled together, corrected each other, and grew together. That circle wasn’t random—it was strategic.
Why?
Because circles grow disciples.
In a healthy group, wrong thinking gets challenged. Pride gets exposed. Growth accelerates. You learn to love, forgive, and serve. Jesus built a friend group so that those men would become leaders.
And then He sent them out.
Empowered for a Purpose
Jesus tells His disciples:
“I have called you friends… For everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)
Friendship with Jesus wasn’t just relational—it was empowering. He shared His heart, His mission, and His authority.
And at the end, He gave them their assignment:
“Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19)
Do you see it?
Friendship wasn’t the destination. It was preparation.
Jesus grew leaders through relationship so they could multiply that relationship in others.
That’s the rhythm.
It’s Better When Shared
Hot chocolate is good. But it’s better when shared.
Friendship is good. But it’s better when it multiplies.
We don’t join small groups just to receive. We join so we can grow—and then go. We build strong friendships not just to be fulfilled, but to be formed into people who carry the love of Christ to others.
And this is why it’s important to have friends who don’t yet know Jesus.
Not as projects. Not as checklists.
But as people you genuinely love, serve, and sacrifice for—the same way Christ has done for you.
Because that’s what a good friend does.
Living the Rhythm
The rhythm of God in our friendships looks like this:
- We engage in real community.
- We grow together in Christ.
- We are empowered as leaders.
- We are sent to multiply what we’ve received.
We were built this way.
And it only works when we live within the purpose for which it was intended.
Jesus is the perfect friend—the One who loved us, remained loyal to us, and sacrificed Himself for us on the cross. He died, was buried, and rose again so that we could have new life in Him.
Now He invites us into His rhythm.
A rhythm where friendship forms leaders.
Leaders multiply disciples.
And disciples share the love of Christ with the world.
That’s the hot chocolate.
And it’s always better when shared.
