Friendships

Today's encouragement is something that has been on my heart and I have prayed about writing on.  Then just the other day my sweet sister wrote my very heart on her blog!  I love when God does that!  To visit the blog I am talking about go to:   http://lisa-biblemoment.blogspot.com/

"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works." Hebrews 10:24

I am a quiet person and I am happy to stay home with my family.  I do not like to be alone, yet I am fine with just having my family around me.  Well, about a year ago I took what was a big step for me and joined a women's Bible study group.  Being the quiet person I am, I was a little nervous at first.  But now I can honestly say I don't know what I would do without my sisters!  These ladies are true friends.  I know that if I ask for prayer, they are praying for me, and not just then and there but all week.  If I need encouragement, they will be there for me.  They will not put me down, judge me or spread gossip about me, but encourage, lift me up and pray for me.  And when I pray for my sisters, I get encouraged.  (Try praying for someone else and see the blessings God pours into you.)  

 
We all need relationships.  We need people to talk to.  We need sisters to rejoice with and laugh with in the good times and cry with in the bad times.  God wants us to have friendships.  Proverbs 27:9 (MSG) says, "Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul."  Having a sister in Christ to talk to, whether it is about spiritual things, kids or fashion, is truly refreshing to our soul.  Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man (woman) sharpens another."
 
Maybe you already have a friendship like this.  Wonderful!  Continue to grow that relationship.  Encourage and pray for your friend daily.  Be available to her and thank God for her.  Or maybe you do not yet have a friend like this.  The first step is to pray that God would bring someone in your life that you can become friends and accountability partners with.  Then be available to any new friendships that come.  Get to know each other by meeting for coffee or going for a walk or play dates with the little ones.  But most important pray for each other.  You have to be a friend to have a friend.  I praise God for all of my sweet friends (my wonderful family included).