Date:
December 13, 2024Spontaneity and Vulnerability
Involvement with others should be spontaneous, never forced. And allowing yourself to be vulnerable is essential for involvement.
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Friendship
We all make various acquaintances throughout our lives—people who come into our circle for a season and then move on. With some, we’re content to let them go. But with others, we’re not. Once an acquaintance turns into true friendship, we hold on more tightly to that friend. A friend is a favoured companion for whom we feel affection or esteem. Why is a friend favoured? Most likely, it has much to do with how we feel when we’re with him or her. A friend accepts us as we are and is patient with our faults. A friend points out our strengths and rejoices at our successes. A friend’s presence and listening ear fill a void in us and give our lives a sense of validation and greater depth.
Do you have such a friend? Do you know how to be that friend? These resources can help you recognize the need for friendship and develop the attributes that will make you a treasured friend to others.
A friend is always loyal,
and a brother is born to help in time of need.
(Proverbs 17:17 NLT)
Lonely Strangers
We’ve become a nation of lonely strangers. Who, aside from your family, knows your deepest needs?
Jesus is Our Bridge
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He set the ultimate example of love when He died on the cross to pay for our sins and have eternal fellowship with us. Jesus is our bridge over troubled water.
Three Traits of Authentic Love
Authentic love is unconditional in its expression, unselfish in its motive, and unlimited in the benefits.
Stepping Forward
Why are we so reluctant to share the Gospel? We hear so much about the need for evangelism but it doesn’t affect us if we don’t have a burden for the lost.
Set Apart
When we love and serve one another people take notice. Genuine kindness doesn’t fit the pattern and people have different reactions. Some push you away, but some are drawn closer to the Lord as a result.
Keeping Fervent in Love
Think of someone who may have blown it. He or she needs your love, not your judgment. Leave grudges to the world and open your arms with a forgiving embrace.
We All Need Mentors
No matter who you are or how old you are it’s not too late to be a mentor. People need the wisdom, encouragement, and guidance of those who are a little further along in life.
Partners and Friends
True friends are priceless. They believe in us, affirm us, and hold our hands up when we’re weary and unable to go on. If we have one true friend, we are rich.
Agape Love
Jesus said “love one another,” and the word He used was “agape.” Agape is the highest form of love. It’s deliberate refusal to respond negatively. It’s a conquest of the will.
