Referring to a parable of a rich man who died in Luke 16:19-31 this author writes:

So engrossed was he in the society of his friends that he lost all sense of his responsibility to co-operate with God in His ministry of mercy. He had opportunity to understand the word of God, and to practice its teachings; but the pleasure-loving society he chose so occupied his time that he forgot the God of eternity. – {COL 261.4}

In my Christian friend circle, I sometimes wonder if we spend too much time having a good time. To clarify, I enjoy enjoying myself with friends, but as Christians we have a higher purpose in life than immediate pleasure. What I’m saying is that I’m afraid that the appetizer has become the main dish.

I think the best situation to be in is to be part of a church that has a clear mission focus so that we know how we are using our time. But aside from that situation, and ultimately anyhow,the burden rests on us individually and as a group to spend more time encouraging each other for good works and then doing them.

As Christians, our lives are different than everyone else’s. God has a purpose for each one of us and a work for us to do. Let us not let friends, even good friends, get in the way of that.