Have you ever hit a low point in life and had a friend step in at just the right moment? It could be an encouraging word or lending a hand right when you needed it most. Yet, it’s easy to get too busy that we neglect our friendships.
Friendships are a precious gift from God. We weren’t meant to travel this life journey by ourselves. Our friends are those who accompany us through times of joy and grief. They are handpicked by God to be the shoulder to lean on when we are unsteady. They are the hands that strengthen us when we feel weakened by the pressures of life. They are the ears to hear our concerns and mouths to express genuine words of encouragement. They are the feet that come to help us when we can’t help ourselves.
In seeking out true friends, we need to be the friend that we want for ourselves. We need to give them grace when they don’t always meet our expectations especially because we will fall short ourselves. How can we be a friend who loves at all times?
We can listen to their concerns. (Proverbs 17:27)
We can love them even when we disagree with their decisions. (Proverbs 17:17)
We can speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)
We can pray for them regularly. (James 5:16)
We can forgive them when they’ve hurt us. (Ephesians 4:32)
We can give them our time, energy, and gifts when they are in need. (Romans 16:2)
We can refuse to participate in gossip about them. (Psalms 15:3, Proverbs 11:13)
We can make ourselves accessible and available when they are in need. (Romans 16:3, 1 Corinthians 16:17-18)
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