Knit Together In Love

By |Published On: July 7, 2020|Categories: 4-Minute Radio Program|
Close up of a ball of yarn with two knitting needles stuck in it.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with encouraging words.

And I have a group of friends – all of them deal with chronic, constant pain. Anyway, my friends – Cynthia, Vaneetha, Michael, Greg, Shannon, Rika – let’s see – Theresa, Todd, and Barbara and more – these friends and I have made a solid pact, we’ve made a commitment, not to grumble and not to complain to one another about our pain. But instead, we want to encourage each other in Christ. Oh, sure, we share our anguish and our struggles; we confess when we are on the verge of throwing in the towel emotionally or feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, but no grumbling, no complaining. Sometimes, we email each other scriptures; or it could be an essay by Charles Spurgeon or one of the Puritans, like James Stewart is a favorite or Thomas Owen. We might circulate a message about a new surgical procedure or a warning about a certain pain medication. I tell you, this group of friends is, to me, a circle of pure, rich encouragement.

Colossians chapter 2 describes them so well. Paul prays that the Colossians – now get this: “… may be encouraged [as they are] knit together in love.” Okay, so, these are Christian friends who are suffering, and Paul the Apostle is encouraging them to be intertwined with each other; knitted; that is, crocheted; stitched together like a beautiful quilt. That is getting close to each other, right? And when it happens, it is always accompanied by a clearer understanding of Jesus. And Paul explains how. He says this, he says: “[May your hearts] be knit together in love, so that [you] may have all the riches of …  understanding … Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” So, let me unpack this. When you have a group of friends who all decide to put away grumbling and stay committed to strengthening each other, you all become a fellowship of knitted hearts who suffer wisely, and in so doing, gain deep insights into the character of God. When you exhort your friends through their afflictions, even your sanctified grimacing will knit you to your friends in love.

And it is why I love lifting in prayer my friends who struggle with pain. This little group of mine, this group of pain-sufferers, we are a beautiful quilt, and I’m so honored to be a part. Now, several of these friends are bedridden and they have been so for many years. Some of these Christian friends haven’t been outside their homes in as many years. But none of their needs are too heavy for any of our prayer pallets as we lift each other up to the Lord. And it’s why we are, as it were, crocheted together, stitched and sewn together; knitted – as Colossians puts it – we are knitted together in love. And all of it, all of it helps us know Jesus better.

Would you like to create a fellowship like this? Sure, you can, really. And if you are struggling with pain, I think God would love you to do this. Because the Lord wants you to be knitted together with people who struggle over the same things. So, if you are weighed down with chronic pain, do not go it alone. Surely, you have a friend in Christ who probably struggles the same yet perseveres with hope, right?, and with confidence. Well, create a community of believers who understand pain. Pray for one another, share scriptures, extend encouragement, circulate quotations from saints of old who suffered; for that matter, circulate info about new procedures or surgeries or anything else about pain management. Most of all, do not complain. But be grateful. Stay humble. And be knit together in love. It is a fabulous way to know the Lord Jesus much, much better.

© Joni and Friends

Did this message touch your heart in a special way? Share your thoughts with us.

Contact Us Support Us!

Recent Posts