Growing into the Lord (2)

Let all things be done for edification. 1 Corinthians 14.26

Spiritual Friendship
Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1167)
“For spiritual friendship, which is what we mean by true friendship, should be desired not with a view to any worldly good, nor for any reason extrinsic to itself, but from the worthiness of its own nature, and the feeling of the human heart, so that it offers no advantage or reward other than itself…For in this true friendship one makes progress by bettering oneself, and one bears fruit by experiencing the enjoyment of this increasing degree of perfection. And so spiritual friendship is born among good people through the similarity of their characters, goals, and habits in life.”

Friendship – caring for and edifying one another – is the framework Jesus taught for making disciples. But we can’t be a friend to anyone if we’re tolerating sin in our souls and not working diligently to grow into the Lord. As we submit to God’s Word and Spirit, we meet the Lord in His glory, and Christ is formed in us (2 Cor. 3.12-18). But this is not merely for our own advantage. We benefit by experiencing a greater degree of the glory of the Lord; and this equips us to share that glory with others, through mutual friendship and the encouragement and example of love. When friends are growing in the Lord, they reinforce and extend one another in ways wonderful to experience and see. Only God can bring growth in our lives (1 Cor. 3.7). And He grows us, and uses us to grow others, where each of us is bettering himself and bearing fruit through the glory of the Lord.

Would you describe your work of disciple-making as an adventure of growing in the glory of the Lord? Why or why not?

Are you a soul friend?
What is the role of soul friendship in your work of making disciples? Are you cultivating an environment of mutual friendship, caring, and encouragement, or are you just running a program? Write to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we’ll send you a copy of our free brochure on Soul Friends. Make copies for yourself and all those you are discipling, then meet to discuss how your work together can become a fellowship of true friendship into the Lord.

Pastoral Hope Initiative
Pastor, where are you in your walk with and work for the Lord? Are you growing? Covering all the bases? Working fruitfully toward the Kingdom of God? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative can help you establish a framework and baseline for steady, fruitful growth into the Lord Jesus; and for the remainder of this spring, we’re waiving the fee for men who want to work through this 14-week protocol. Watch this brief video, then, if you’re interested, let me hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from Aelred of Rievaulx, Spiritual Friendship, tr. By Mark F. Williams (Scranton: The University of Scranton Press, 1994, 2002).