Buried at the end of the book of Colossians (while the credits are rolling), Paul calls out some greetings to a number of friends and fellow workers. Although there are a number of men whose names we might not be familiar with, this section strikes me as very applicable to our lives.

Truth is, I think we all need a list of friends like these guys. Paul calls Tychicus a “dear brother, a faithful minister and a fellow servant.” This guy was in the trenches with Paul. He was hanging out in prison with him. They were doing ministry “shoulder to shoulder.”

Normal life is not always a bed of roses. All of us deal with difficult situations, especially at our work. Isn’t it a huge blessing to have someone who can relate to our struggles and speak kindly into the 9-10 hours a day that we spend focused on our job? Do you treasure a Tychicus in your life right now?

And then Paul mentions Epaphras. He calls him a servant of Jesus Christ who is always wrestling in prayer for others. Do you have a dear friend like this? Someone who you know is spending time in serious, earnest prayer on your behalf? They don’t have to be asked, it’s just part of their friendship to hold you up in prayer. What a blessing!

The Old Testament has another great example of a treasured friend. In I Samuel 23, it says that Jonathan “went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.” Jonathan went out of his way to meet up with his friend. He inconvenienced himself in order to bless his buddy.

And the focus of his words was to help David find encouragement and strength from the Lord.

He didn’t just bring him a great meal or some incredible entertainment. Jonathan was not trying to distract David from all his troubles. He was joining David right where he was. And he was pointing his friend to the Savior.

This week might be a great time to do an inventory of all our friendships. Which ones are encouraging us? Which ones are pointing us to the Lord? Which ones are going out of their way to pray thoughtfully and carefully for us? Who is helping us find strength for the journey?

David had an amazing friend in Jonathan and Paul had a whole list of them.  So, who can we rely on for spiritual insight, Godly guidance and meaningful encouragement?

Take a minute and make a mental list. Once they come to your mind, drop them a note (text, email, smoke signal) and let them know just how much you truly cherish their investment in you.

Remember, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”