Friendships

Are you serving without a couple close friends with whom you process life?  If not, you may be unnecessarily headed toward a brick wall.

There's an article in the RELEVANT Magazine online about friendships and why they are needed in our culture.  The author, Anne Jackson, beautifully raises (3) benefits of friendships, drawn from Ecclesiastes 4:10-12: A friend picks you up when you're down, provides warmth in a cold world, and fights life's battles with you.

One of the more vital components of the life of a servant is friendship.  We serve best when connected to community.  Friendships are a precious commodity when we are giving of our time and attention.  They help us maintain perspective.  They allow us to unwind after being in the moment of our service.

But HOW does a person develop these needed relationships?  I invite you, and all the subscribers to the Serving Strong eNewsletter to post your comments and thoughts along this line of thinking.  Here are some initial thoughts...

• Pray.  Ask God to lead you to the right person(s).  Ask Him to make you sensitive to when a true friend comes along so you don't miss it.
• Start within.  To be loved means you first need to be lovable.  Take a look inside you.  What do you see?  Would YOU be friends with you?  Perhaps you need to become a little more forgiving, patient, compassionate.
• Be a listener - be interested in others.  You would be surprised how many people long to be listened to.  Take a course on active listening.  Read about the art of hearing what people have to say.  Armed with such a skill, you will stand out among the crowd and start attracting others to you.