Real friends bring out the best in each other. They encourage and motivate one another to reach their goals. Friends who will cheer you on to success are a critical part of fulfilling your purpose in life.

There’s an old Zambian proverb that says, “When you run alone, you run fast. But when you run together, you run far.” The Christian life is not a 50-yard dash. It is a marathon.

Marathon runners know there comes a point when you start getting a pain in your side that makes you want to give up. But if you have other people running with you, you can find the strength to continue to the finish line. The only way you’ll achieve your God-given goals is to have others involved in your life.

“In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5 NIV).

Pastor Rick Warren