The hardest thing about this game, and about this profession, is saying goodbye. You can get really close to a teammate and then the next day they’re gone. Or you’re gone. It’s never again the same as having them by your side, in the locker room with you, or on the road with you.

Matt Holliday and I are really close, and while it’s hard to know that he won’t be on our team anymore, I know that we will stay close. We text often and continue to hold each other accountable in our marriages, families, and faith. Skip Schumaker is another man who I grew really close to. I went from playing against him when I was on the Braves to daily competing alongside him as his teammate on the Cardinals. My wife and I grew really close to Skip and his wife, and then all the sudden he was traded and our friendship was reduced to an occasional text or call.

This year I’m looking forward to building deeper friendships with more of my teammates. Trevor Rosenthal and Matt Carpenter, two men I’ve been growing closer to over the years, have approached me about holding each other accountable and encouraging each other more diligently in our faith in Christ. I’m excited about it—friendships are so much more meaningful when you go beyond baseball.

Christian community is extremely important for anyone’s faith. If someone really wants to grow in the Word they will surround themselves with accountability partners they spend a lot of time with. Being in a small group of people who are diligent about seeking God together (even if it’s mostly through text, though it’s always more meaningful face to face), will result in consistent growth. You can constantly bounce ideas and questions off each other, pray for one another, and be in fellowship with people who are like-minded.

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” —Psalm 133:1

But it’s crucial to get your relationship with God right first; only then can you have fruitful relationships with others. When you are actively pursuing God, your faith will rarely waver and when you are right with God, you will naturally share that excitement and joy with others. God’s truth is contagious.

—Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright is a regular contributor to The Increase, providing monthly articles and opinions.

Check out Adam’s Increase profile here: http://theincrease.com/author/adamwainwright/

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