Relational Strength
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17
There is nothing so comforting as a friend who knows how to love you, She knows when you need words of encouragement and when you just need a quiet place to speak your troubles freely. She knows how to make you laugh and what makes you cry. A good friend is one of the best parts of life.
When things are going well in our relationships, we're generally doing well also. And when there are problems in those relationships, it's unusually quite obvious. Our friends can hurt us as well as heal, and it's important to understand the inner workings of our relationships so we can avoid creating painful emotions for those we love. God has given us each other to walk with in our spiritual journeys. But relationships are hard , and many marriages and friendships break down over time. If we hold onto the baggage of our life instead of trusting in the forgiveness and grace of God in our relationships, we have no chance of growing as a friend.
A good friend is one who trusts, understands, gives space, and is willing to speak honestly into your life. And if we can get to the place where we can truly serve others in love, as the Bible commands, we'll escape the traps of jealousy, betrayal, and anger that plague so many relationships.
1. What makes a person a good friend? Prov. 17:9, 17; 18:24; 27:6;9; and 27:10 each give us great insight into friendship.
2. As we move through the various stages of our lives--childhood, teenage years, single life, newlywed years, parenthood, and empty nesting--we meet and develop friendships with people whom we relate to at those particular times. What advice does Scripture give about making new friends?
Prov. 12:26
Micah 7:5
1 Corinthians 15:33
3. True friends are loyal to each other in good times and bad, That can be the most challenging aspect of a relationship--expressing happiness for your joyous friend when you're suffering heartache, or finding compassion and tact for a hurting friend when you're bubbling over with excitement in your won life. How dies Mark 5:19 instruct those in each of these situations?
4. Words are like weapons---they can wound a friend deeply and permanently. We must remember that we walk around armed with dangerous tools that can hurt and destroy. Likewise, God's Word is like a double -edged sward, penetrating deep in a healing way (Hebrew 4: 12). Speaking the truth of God into a friend's life ca be a uniting act or a divisive one, depending on the way you approach it Read the following, verses and jot down what they have to say about the power of words in relationships.
Prov. 16:28
Prov. 27:6,9
Ephesians 4:15
Hebrews 10:24
3 John 14
Our lives have become incredibly fast paced. We're racing from work to practice to dinner with friends and back home to finish up chores and check e-mails. We're exhausted, and we're too tired to do anything about it. But think back fifteen years ago--before cell phones, online social networks, e-mail, and a dozen blogs to check daily. When you spoke to people face to face rather than online, did you feel a deeper connection?
It's easy to feel isolated in the "communication age" because we've become so accustomed to communication with people that we have little relationship with. As we spread ourselves thin relationally, even our deepest friendships can feel the strain.
5. How do you build relationships in a fast-paced world? What specific actions can you take to deepen the intimacy level of a few friendships to intentionally make them more significant? (see what exodus 33:11, Prov 17:17m and Galatians 5:13 have to say.)
A good friend is one who trusts, understands, gives space, and is willing to speak honestly into your life. And if we can get to the place where we can truly serve others in love, as the Bible commands, we'll escape the traps of jealousy, betrayal, and anger that plague so many relationships.
1. What makes a person a good friend? Prov. 17:9, 17; 18:24; 27:6;9; and 27:10 each give us great insight into friendship.
2. As we move through the various stages of our lives--childhood, teenage years, single life, newlywed years, parenthood, and empty nesting--we meet and develop friendships with people whom we relate to at those particular times. What advice does Scripture give about making new friends?
Prov. 12:26
Micah 7:5
1 Corinthians 15:33
3. True friends are loyal to each other in good times and bad, That can be the most challenging aspect of a relationship--expressing happiness for your joyous friend when you're suffering heartache, or finding compassion and tact for a hurting friend when you're bubbling over with excitement in your won life. How dies Mark 5:19 instruct those in each of these situations?
4. Words are like weapons---they can wound a friend deeply and permanently. We must remember that we walk around armed with dangerous tools that can hurt and destroy. Likewise, God's Word is like a double -edged sward, penetrating deep in a healing way (Hebrew 4: 12). Speaking the truth of God into a friend's life ca be a uniting act or a divisive one, depending on the way you approach it Read the following, verses and jot down what they have to say about the power of words in relationships.
Prov. 16:28
Prov. 27:6,9
Ephesians 4:15
Hebrews 10:24
3 John 14
Our lives have become incredibly fast paced. We're racing from work to practice to dinner with friends and back home to finish up chores and check e-mails. We're exhausted, and we're too tired to do anything about it. But think back fifteen years ago--before cell phones, online social networks, e-mail, and a dozen blogs to check daily. When you spoke to people face to face rather than online, did you feel a deeper connection?
It's easy to feel isolated in the "communication age" because we've become so accustomed to communication with people that we have little relationship with. As we spread ourselves thin relationally, even our deepest friendships can feel the strain.
5. How do you build relationships in a fast-paced world? What specific actions can you take to deepen the intimacy level of a few friendships to intentionally make them more significant? (see what exodus 33:11, Prov 17:17m and Galatians 5:13 have to say.)
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