Hey guys,
How is your week going? I hope it is going well. We are still in our series about friendship, it is about to wrap up soon so make sure you listen to our podcast as well! This week we are talking about showing up for your friends.
This is something that brings up a lot of emotion in me. It is something that is hard for me. Before I hop into that, I am going to give yall an exciting announcement. This week is my birthday week! I love birthdays and mine, but not for the obvious reasons. Of course, who doesn’t love balloons and gifts, haha, but I love it because it reminds me of the people who care for me. On my birthday, I receive texts and birthday wishes from lots of different people. Family, my close friends, but also people that I used to be close with, or distant relatives. All of this reminds me of how much I am loved and it reminds me of the people who show up for me. Showing up for our friends is one of the most important characteristics of a friend in my opinion. Whether that is supporting your friend, telling that you appreciate them, or just by being there for them when they need it most. Showing up for your friend comes in many different forms and it takes all of the other aspects of our series and puts them into action. What I mean by this is, you show up for your friends by loving them, by appreciating them, by challenging them, etc. Being there for your friend is something that is more powerful than words. Sometimes it is not about what someone says, but what they do for you. Do not misunderstand me here, friendship is not about what you can offer someone or what they can offer you, but that actions speak louder than words. This is something that I have learned throughout my life. At the beginning of this post, I said that this topic is hard for me and brings up emotion in me. Sometimes I expect my friends to know something is wrong in my life without telling them. Or sometimes I get too busy or get too upset and I stop showing up for my friends. This is something that I see the Lord working in my life, how important it is to remember that people are sinners, even my friends, and if they don’t show up for me, it is not a reason to get mad. Maybe they are going through a hard season as well. Or maybe I put expectations on them that I know they cannot reach. I encourage you to remember this verse, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” Proverbs 18:24. We must be able to rely on our friends. Our friendships need to be strong and reliable. Keep in mind though, they are sinners too. We will mess up, we will not be there for our friends always. Something that I want to remind you of is that we should not make idols of our friends. Yes we should be able to trust them and you should support each other, but Jesus is always there for us even when friends do not measure up because they are fallen too. We should look to Jesus as our example for everything, including being there for others. If you feel alone, I pray that you turn to Jesus, who is always there for you. Sometimes friends mess up, and we should talk it out, but we should not rely on our friends only. Jesus is the One who fulfills, not anything of this world, including people. Our friend’s words or affirmations will never fill us. Jesus will. I pray that you remember to look to Jesus and show up for your friends.
My heart,
Sophie
