By Shawna Goldstein, GGN Networking Director
“The righteous choose their friends carefully…” Proverbs 12:26
Who do you need in your life?
Jesus. He’s the best friend you could ever have and the only way to have a relationship with the Father.
A confidant. Imagine life is this big uphill climb. Look around. There are people in front of you, farther up the hill, and people below you, closer to the bottom. Then look side to side. Who is there right next to you? Who is running this race at about the same speed that you can share life with?
We all need a confidant who we can tell our struggles, concerns, questions, and fears and they will get it because they are right there too. Pause and pray that God would show you who this person is and help you to take steps to initiate a deeper relationship. Do they know they can count on you no matter what? Are you a safe place for them to share their struggles? Have you been vulnerable, so they know they can be open and honest with you too?
A mentee. Look down that hill. Who is a bit below you, maybe newer in their faith journey or younger in their stage of life? Who has God strategically put in your path that you can encourage, build up, and pour into? You don’t have to approach them and say, “Can I mentor you?” Just pursue a friendship with them, earn their trust, and through sharing life, be a source of wisdom and encouragement for them.
A mentor. Do you see them, further up that hill, straining for the top? That woman who you admire, who you’d love to be like someday. She is bold, brave, confident, and in love with the Lord. She is everything you want to be.
Ask her to coffee and offer to pay! Tell her what you see in her and ask her how she’s gotten that way. What is God teaching her? How is she growing? What has made her who she is? Reach out to this woman when you need godly advice and encouragement. Learn from her. Be her disciple as she follows Christ.
A not-yet-believer. You are the light of the world. God has placed people in your life for a reason. Who doesn’t know Him yet that you can be praying for and intentionally building a relationship with in order to share Christ?
Pray over these relationships. Be intentional. Be an initiator. And remember that everything lasts for a season, so although we should always have these kinds of relationships, the people who fill those roles may change over time.
Each friendship will make a lasting impact on your heart as you do on theirs. And as relationships change, remember that Jesus always stays the same. He is your constant, the anchor of hope for your soul.