…Jesus took Peter … James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.  Matthew 17:1  

Wait a minute. Didn’t Jesus have twelve disciples? And at other times He had 70 helping Him. Why did He choose only those three to go with Him for this once-in-a-lifetime event? (Read it in Matt. 17). Was He picking favorites? No, they were His life group.

Dr. John Townsend, leading Christian psychiatrist, explains that emotionally healthy people (like Jesus) take their Vitamin C in relationships. Every acquaintance fits in one of these categories: 1. COACHES: point out our blind spots and urge us on.

2. COMRADES: accountability partners growing with us. 3. CASUALS: Sunday morning friends who may become comrades. 4. CARE: those we minister to. 5. CHRONIC: needy takers, never get better. 6. CONTAMINANTS: manipulative controllers.

The recipe for a balanced and fruitful life is this: Avoid the CONTAMINANTS—you can’t help them. Limit time spent with CHRONICS. Seek a COACH or two, cultivate the CASUALS, and balance the rest of your time between the CARES and the COMRADES. Jesus gave to all, but shared His most intimate moments with His comrades. We call them life groups.

Final Thought:  How balanced are your relationships? Are you taking enough Vitamin C?

Prayer: Father, this list helps me see where I might be out of balance. I’m spending too much emotional energy on those who drain me and not enough time with those who strengthen me. Help me develop balance in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.