One time not long after I became a Christian I believe God connected me with a person who I was to have a “spiritual friendship” with. The connection was immediate and strong but I totally misunderstood it. I assumed it was to be a romantic relationship but it was not, it was to be a spiritual relationship.

In life there are many types of relationships. There is family relationships, there is friendship, there are romantic relationships which ideally lead to marriage relationships. But as wonderful as these all are, within Jesus Christ there is fourth type of relationship which I believe is priceless and can be one of the most satisfying relationship of them all.

When I say “spiritual relationship” I am talking about a connection two people have that is centered around Jesus Christ and knowing Him. He personally is the common bond; and often He is the only common bond in the friendship.

Spiritual friendships are the most valuable type of relationship. Spiritual friendships can happen with anyone, family (but not always with family), the opposite sex (yet without romance), and sometimes among people from other cultures entirely.

I believe that spiritual friendships are a part of Jesus building his church, knitting his body together in ways unexplainable. They can happen when we least expect them to, with people we normally would not even like, we cannot fake them or manufacture them or snap our fingers and make them happen in the right moment during windows of time of our choosing like as we turn around and shake the guys hand in the pew behind us.

Spiritual friendships can be neglected over time, mostly because they are misinterpreted because they don’t make sense in the natural realm.

The apostle Paul understood these types of relationships in his ministry.

1 Corinthians 2:1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Paul determined to know nothing among the Corinthians Christians except Jesus Christ, meaning the portion of Jesus Christ that was in the Corinthian Christians. He didn’t want to be their buddies apart from Jesus, he wasn’t looking for romance among their women. And he was not looking for buddies to play poker with.

“Nothing among you except Jesus Christ.” This phrase depicts a type of relationship that is spiritual, not natural, not of this earth, it is about Jesus Christ, it is found only within Jesus Christ. It is the type of relationship many of us are starving for, yet don’t understand. They come along periodically as we seek him first with everything within us, absolutely constantly.

Keep your eyes peeled for these types of relationships because rest assured, He absolutely will knit you with someone in this way as you come to know him.

Jesus even put these relationships above all other natural relationships.

Mark 3:32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” 33 Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 Looking about those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!”

Those gathered around Jesus Christ together as mentioned in verse 34 enter into a spiritual relationship which ascends all natural ones.

This is not to say we neglect our family, we know the Lord wants us to provide and protect and remain faithful to family. Ideally our spiritual relationships happen with the same people as our family and friends but that may not always be the same.

Spiritual relationships do not happen automatically when Christians gather for reasons which are not of Jesus’ leading. In other words just because 100 people gather to hear a sermon or sing worship songs there is no guarantee that spiritual relationship or connection centered around Jesus happen at all.

They occur among and are linked to those who love and seek Jesus Christ, to those among whom Jesus has been made absolute Lord. That link and attraction to Jesus Himself binds people together in unseen spiritual ways.

In spiritual relationships we come to know one another in a new and real way, according to the new man within, and not according to the flesh.

When I say a “spiritual way” I mean exclusively a “Jesus way.” Don’t be confused as T. Austin Sparks said “Jesus Christ is the sum of all spiritual things.”

If you feel connected to someone in a spiritual way then reach out to the person, make an effort to spend time with them if you are not already. Take them out for coffee or for lunch, call them on the phone.

Be led of the Spirit, for he likely is initiating that connection.