Our special close friends and relationships are one of the most precious and delightful gifts that God has blessed us with here on earth, and I think that He often speaks through a friend to offer us guidance, laughter, and joy to help us grow. One of the most important things a friend can do is….listen and be supportive, offering encouragement and positive reinforcement when we going through a challenging situation, or when we are sharing a moment of happiness. Looking back at my thankful journal this week I realize just how many times I thanked God for a time spent or a conversation with a special friend. I feel like they have all been carefully selected for me, and that God has placed each and every one into my life for a special reason. I can’t imagine a day going by without heartfelt fellowship and interaction with the friends that He has placed in my life. The ties of friendship are strengthened by both adversity and joy, and we must nurture, enjoy, and protect them.
“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in the community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care-then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.” (Philippians 2:1-2)
I believe that God has given us the freedom and privilege to share and give, and to take advantage of the energy that flows through our life and relationships by participating and interacting with others. When we give the gift of friendship or when we share with someone who is lonely or unhappy we can feel the presence of God flow through us with love and compassion. When I do a good deed for someone it puts love in action! When I give myself away, I can just feel a passage opening up and allowing an abundance of happiness and grace in my heart that no one can ever steal from me. :) Too many times circumstances or the business of my life distracts me from giving and sharing myself with others, but when I do give it results in an experience of love, joy, peace, and caring. We should always be accessible and prepared to be available for our friends, even if we are far away and can only communicate by phone, email, or written correspondence. There are many people who need our friendship, and we should ask God to reveal them to us and seek to become one.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
When we work together, caring for each other, we are an example of Christ putting other’s first, and we experience unity. After all, we are not here on earth only to serve ourselves, but to serve God and others! When we reach outside ourselves for the benefit of another, the satisfaction we experience is so indwelling, and the result can be self-healing; a reflection of hope for ourselves!
Linking up with Heart And Soul Pursuits~A Collection of Proverbs
Denise,
ReplyDeleteI love how God places the exact right people in our lives to walk alingside us, or for us to walk alongside them. I love where you wrote to ask God to reveal people to us that are in need of a friend, I never really thought of that before, but that will be something that I will absolutely be adding to my prayers, thank you for writing such an inspiring and challenging post, to get out of our comfort zones and be a friend to those who need a friend.
Blessings to you Denise.
yep, a friend sticks closer than a brother.
ReplyDeleteFriends are very important, yes! I do not have too much. But the friendships I have, I cherish ( right english word ?) It is God's gift in a broken world.
ReplyDeleteI have been extremely blessed with so many wonderful friends, friends who came my way right when I needed them. They refresh me. I saw this quote one time. . ."Friends are like the bacon bits in the salad bowel of life." They bring zing to my life. . .and SO much more :)
ReplyDeleteI also prayed for God to show me who needed a friend and he sent me to the downtown square in my town and I have met so many (homeless) and some I have made good friends with who love to text me and share things with me. ALL my friends bless me beyond belief. Thank you Father!
Hi Denise - I can just see by the pictures you have chosen that you friends bring you great joy. I consider you a friend and I believe that you have already spoken into my life. I thank God for you
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Tracy
Hi Denise,
ReplyDeleteFriendships have blessed my life abundantly. To know there is someone who is always there to listen, to encourage, to comfort, and to show me the way gives me peace and joy. The Lord is so gracious to send a friend along just at the right time, like you mentioned and exactly what happened to me this week.
Thank you for this joy filled post.
Blessings,
Janis
So needed this reminder to give of myself more. Love the pictures of the care bears. It took me back to my childhood.
ReplyDelete"Love in action" that is a great expression that describes the process of serving God by reaching out to others!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Joan
Love in Action....a powerful force! Blessings this day! ~ jen
ReplyDelete