“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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Last fall, some friends and I started a new tradition — a guys’ golf trip. Since the pandemic, I had a vision of getting a bunch of guys together to have fun and foster community. I had just moved to a new town the year before, and it was evident how difficult it can be making new friendships in a new town as an adult.
God answered my prayers to find the right guys to build friendships around, and once I mentioned the idea, we had 12 guys ready and excited to make the trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to spend a weekend in a rental home and play a couple of rounds of golf. Between the laughter, the competition and the late-night conversations, I realized something important: We need these kinds of friendships more than we maybe realize.
In Scripture, friendship is portrayed as one of God’s greatest gifts. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” David and Jonathan’s bond in 1 Samuel is another example of how life-giving friendship can be. Their relationship was marked by loyalty, encouragement and a mutual desire to honor God. In a world that often encourages independence and self-sufficiency, the Bible reminds us that we are not meant to walk alone.
Sports have a way of creating the kind of space where this sharpening can happen. Whether through fandom or participation, sports create camaraderie. I now play recreational basketball and softball with many of these same guys, and we spend many weekends gathering to watch sports. We also text daily in a group chat where we trade friendly banter about our favorite teams.
Sports give us shared experiences, inside jokes, and opportunities to celebrate and struggle together. For adults, especially, friendship doesn’t always come easily. Life is full of responsibilities, deadlines and family commitments. Making time for community requires intention, but it’s worth it.
Jesus Himself modeled the value of friendship. He didn’t walk alone. Instead, He called 12 men to follow Him, eat with Him, laugh with Him, and learn from Him. Even the Son of God showed us that living in community was vital to His mission.
So maybe your version of community looks like a golf trip, a pickup basketball game, or even watching a big game together. The activity is just the backdrop. The real gift is the bond being formed, the encouragement being shared, and the reminder that God often works through relationships.
The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” That’s what friendship does — it builds us up. And sometimes, the fairway or the living room couch is the very place where God does His building.
— Cole Claybourn
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