Search results for: friendship
How to build (and maintain) friendship in an era of division
I could not relate to what she was saying. If I may be candid, I was even a bit turned off by what my friend was sharing with me. I felt the urge to disconnect rise up inside me: Well, I guess I know not to broach *this* topic again in the future. And then there are the…
Read MoreWhen past hurt makes friendship feel scary
He addressed him as “friend.” “Friend, do what you came to do.” (Matthew 26:50 ESV) Jesus knew what his friend Judas—one of the close-knit group of disciples—was about to do: betray Him into the hands of His would-be killers. Most of us wouldn’t consider that kind of betrayal a mark of a friend. Yet Jesus still…
Read MoreHow to build friendships when you can’t see each other—or just don’t see eye to eye
Friendship during COVID has presented an incredible challenge. Recently updated research from Cigna showed that a staggering 61% of people feel lonely. And that loneliness is as detrimental to our health as smoking and other well-known health problems. And those findings were BEFORE coronavirus. I can’t imagine those statistics have improved in recent months. We…
Read MoreBridging the distance in friendship
The prospect of moving 800 miles away filled me with grief. As an introverted person, anticipating the loss of the friendships I’d built over many years was deeply painful. I feared losing the proximity that wove my life into the fabric of others’. I feared distance would unavoidably change, or even end, those relationships. I…
Read MoreBetter Together: Two things to do for the sake of friendship
Too many of us feel isolated and lonely. Sure, friendships take time… time we don’t always feel we have to spare. And yet, I don’t think we can afford to not spend the time on relationships. God designed us for it! The theme at LIFT (an event I spoke at last week; if you’re local…
Read MoreWhat friendship looks like when you’re secure in Christ
He had everything to lose. Everything. As Saul’s son, Jonathan was the presumed heir to the throne in Israel’s newly-founded monarchy. The title. The throne. The crown. The power and prestige. The responsibility. The joy. All would be his. But that’s not quite the way things worked out. Saul’s heart turned from the Lord, so…
Read MoreBraving the barn (a surprising lesson in friendship)
I love the statements in Proverbs: simple, true and packed with a punch, This one gave me some not-as-sweet food for thought: Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. –Proverbs 14:4 ESV Hear my confession (and contain your gasps, please): The coat closet, the…
Read MoreFulfilling the purpose of small groups
I have had the joy of participating in multiple study/community/small groups over the course of my 30+ years as a Christian. For the most part, these weekly gatherings have been a regular boon to my life. They encourage me. They sharpen me. They equip me. I look forward to them. I say “for the most…
Read MoreHow to talk to each other at Christmas
Mary and Joseph. Joseph and Mary. We talk about them like an old married couple. As two pivotal “characters” in the story of the Bible, we mention both when we reference either, almost as though they’re a single name or unit—which in some ways they are. But we mustn’t forget that they were two distinct…
Read MoreOn the other hand…
“You might be immobilized for five or six weeks,” my doctor said. Ugh. The possibility of not being able to use of my dominant hand for that length of time struck a chord of fear in this pessimist’s heart. But my shoulder needed repair so I scheduled it—despite the potential downtime. (I had a similar…
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