Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip. It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God. When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.
Acts of the Apostles 28:1-16 NLT
Having the presence of other strong Christians in our lives is a source of great strength and comfort. Paul had two Christian brothers traveling with him. They were not under arrest but stood by his side through trials, storms, and the shipwreck. Paul was single but rarely alone – he stayed in community and surrounded himself with believers throughout his whole ministry. Even on the way to Rome, two different groups of Christians came to greet him, which greatly encouraged him.
We need to have other Christians in our lives for support and encouragement. We are also supposed to be friends with non-Christians, sharing life (and Jesus) with others. But we deeply need the connection of Christians. We also need to pay attention to the needs of our brothers and sisters. We need to be a source of encouragement and support, being present and praying for people. Life is not meant to be walked alone.
What does it take to have deep, Christ-centered friendships? Who has God put in your life to encourage you, and how can you be intentional about spending time with them?
