Cain and Abel were brothers. They were friends. Because of sin, Cain killed Abel. Because of sin, a friendship was broken. Sin can quickly blow up a relationship, and we see this happen in our world all the time. Have you ever met someone and immediately became friends with him or her, and then, a week or two later, you realized it was a bad idea? This happens in Scripture, too. We see friends turning against friends and relationships being broken, and it’s all because of disobedience. Sin destroys relationships, but Jesus can restore them. When we recognize Jesus and ask Him into our friendships, a cycle begins. Jesus heals our friendships; He uses our friendships to make us better people; and He uses our friendships to draw us closer to the Father. If you want life-giving and not life-draining relationships, allow Jesus to be the center of it all.

How have you seen sin come alive in your friendships?