There is a saying “Birds of a feather flock together.” Most people know that the people around you have more impact on your life than you think. If you want to get better at anything, you need people who are moving in the same direction of where you want to go. If you want to make better investments, then you need financially wise people around you. If you want to get in better physical shape, then go to the gym with friends. All of this is true that we need to have the right people around us, but it goes beyond that. There is a powerful story in the Bible that shows it is not just their influence that changes you, but the faith of people around you can directly impact you.

For example, A group of men brought their paralyzed friend to see Jesus and it changed the paralyzed man’s life.

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2, NIV)

Jesus forgave the paralyzed man of his sins and then healed him physically. Not to minimize the miracle Jesus does, but I want you to notice one other thing. Jesus healed, not because of the paralyzed man’s faith, but because Jesus saw “their faith.” That is incredible!

Questions to consider:

Do the people around you have great faith?

Do your friends push you to get closer to Jesus?

How can you be the person to encourage the faith of people around you?