“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”
– Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)
Daily Meditation: Proverbs 18, John 15:1-17
Good girl friends are one of the purest sources of joy and encouragement in life, don’t you think? For me, they’re the first people I call when something goes wrong, and at this stage of my life I’ve even got some of them on speed dial! They’re the ones you turn to and lean on when one of your parents gets discouraging news from the doctor, or when you take your two-year-old to the ER with a 105-degree temperature, or when your husband loses his job. Those friends are your rock. We all need friends like that, and we all should also try to be friends like that.
But what about when the everyday, ordinary issues of life come up? Are we still those kinds of friends then? All too often, we miss out on helping with our friends’ little things because we aren’t even aware they exist. Maybe we are too busy to notice, or maybe those little things are kept a secret. Either way, we miss opportunities to be a true friend.
Be the kind of friend who not only rushes in when the crises of life happen, but who also pays attention and notices the little things in others’ lives. Needs are everywhere. Just keep your eyes and heart open and you will find many opportunities to help carry the loads of others.
“The best of friends to us will always be
friends who imitate Christ.”
– Alistair Begg
There is, of course, no end to the needs, but there is an end to the friends who notice. You can’t do it all, and that is okay. But you can make a difference.
Let’s let 2019 be the year we grow closer to the Lord and become the fearless, strong, and faithful woman we are meant to be in Him! In Be Fearless, Julie Clinton provides a scripturally-sound guide for finding freedom, purpose, joy… and fearlessness. Be Fearless is now available in our store! https://www.aacc.net/product/be-fearless/ Consider working through Be Fearless with another extraordinary woman or group this year!
Julie Clinton, MAd, MBA, is president of Extraordinary Women and host of EWomen conferences all across America. She is the author of several books including A Woman’s Path to Emotional Freedom, 10 Things You Aren’t Telling Him, and Extraordinary Women. She is passionate about seeing women live out their dreams by finding their freedom in Christ. Julie and her husband, Tim, live in Virginia with their children, Megan and Zach.