The Thing About Friendship
I’m reading through the Bible chronologically, and I moaned when I looked at my assigned text for the day. It was one of those lists. You know the ones. All the names I can’t pronounce and how many sons they had … and all their names I can’t pronounce.
It’s places like this in Scripture that I wonder a little, why is this in here? I mean, I know every word is God-breathed and all, but what am I suppose to do with all this? Then, there it was. In the midst of the list of King David’s counselors, advisers, army commanders and officials, God breathed this:
Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.” 1 Chronicles 27:33 (NLT)
And I smiled. Pretty cool. In a “Who’s Who” text of all King David’s men, God named his friend. In our busy lives with family and work and church demands, sometimes I put my friends on the bottom of the list. And we all know we never make it to the bottom. So my friendships, though strong, rarely get fed.
I cherish these women. I think of them often, but talk – well that’s another thing. It was a friend who brought me a smoothie and sat with me the day I learned my infant had a tumor. It was my friends who spent weekends with me while I lay on bed rest with four pre-schoolers bustling about and a husband out of town. My friends encourage my dreams. My friends challenge me to be more like Jesus.
Reading this verse made me re-think how important friendships really are, so I want to challenge us all today. Make time for your friends. Prioritize them. Schedule time to talk or even grab breakfast. Share your life with them. They’re as important as the counselors and commanders in your life.
Invest in them. Build them up, and let them pour into you. I think it pleases God.
So, let’s start here. Leave a Comment and tell me about a friend you admire or a time when a friend has built you up. Then share it on Facebook and let them know!
Katy, this post brought tears to my eyes. Friends have been so vital in my life…encouraging me, pointing me to Truth, coming alongside during hard times, sharing fun moments, but yet I too struggle to invest and really connect. I have missed that as I read through the long lists too…thank you for pointing it out. God is ALWAYS speaking…oh to always listen!!
Just last week I called up a friend I hadn’t talked with in a long time…it was great to connect and pick up where we left off. God’s had it on my heart to visit another friend…it would take some planning, prayer and travel, but after reading your words I’ll consider that prompting more.
Thank you! Grateful to have you as a far-away friend, who encourages and understands! Blessings!
Grateful for you too, friend! I always love reading your sweet words.
I’d like to celebrate the friendship I have found in my Proverbs 31 sisters. During our She Speaks Conference, my daughter had to be flown home from New York and taken directly to the hospital. I had to leave the Conference and all my responsibilities to be with her. It was such a difficult 24 hours for me, knowing I needed to be with Lauren yet knowing in choosing her I was abandoning my responsibilities and leaving them with women that had so many of their own. Yet they stepped up so graciously. Not only did they step in and do what I was supposed to do, they texted prayers, Scriptures, and words of encouragement for days following her hospitalization. The grace they extended assured me that being with Lauren was my “Best Yes,” exactly where I wanted to be.
Thanking God for their friendship today!
Blessings,
I’m not surprised one bit to hear of how your Proverbs 31 family circled around you. I remember that, and It’s so sweet to hear how God used your friends to build you up. Great to hear from you, Wendy!
I’ve gotten to those lists and done the same thing before Katy. I love how God spoke to you through His word in bringing out the beauty of friendship. I’m blessed to have friends who speak blessings over me and are there for me in the trenches, too. It’s a wonderful mystery how God designed us to feel and share and befriend, isn’t it? I’m glad for this reminder today. Thank you for sharing! Found you from Abby’s site today. xo
Hi Meredith! So glad you stopped by. It is amazing how God connects our hearts through friends and fun to find those nuggets in His Word.
The lists! The genealogies! Begat after begat after begat! But in the midst of all that, it’s nice to see a friend mentioned. And it’s a good reminder to be a good friend. Thanks for sharing, and God bless.
Thanks David!
Friendship is such an important part of my life . There are several of my very near friends that I do not get to see or talk to on a consistent basis due to work and being a mother and wife and just life in itself – but when all slows down or even in the midst of a trial those are the friends who are my support and with me no matter laughs or cries!
And btw I miss you Katy! Loved our times spent as roomies in college and as friends !
And I miss you, Andrea! I love how God uses technology to keep us connected and I smile when I read words from your heart. You are a wonderful friend and I know those around you are blessed by you. 🙂
Such a beautiful reminder of the importance of investing in our friendships. I agree that we need to cherish them and let them know that we cherish them. What a beautiful way to touch their heart!
Hi Jennifer! So glad you stopped by. It’s so neat to see God draw our attention to friendships!
Loved this post about the importance of friends, Katy. It’s been a hot topic in my mind lately. We moved to a new state a year ago. As a military family, moves were not new to us; however, this final move for retirement was. It was lonely. But a friend…a friend came alongside me on Facebook, of all places, and prayed with and over me daily. She encouraged my gaze to stay firmly on the One who is truly a Friend. She continues to share her Bible study notes, encouragement, and texted blessings daily. Suzi has been more than a blessing, and I thank God for her.
Your post today was truly enjoyable. Thank you! (Having coffee with you on Holley Gerth’s site.) 🙂
Hi Kristi! Thanks so much for visiting. 🙂 I know how it feels to move. We’ve done it several times. I’ve felt that loneliness but also witnessed God’s faithfulness as you so beautifully shared!
I do not have many friends but the ones I do are amazing. And even when we fall out of touch, God puts them back into my path. My friend Heidi has been so amazing since I met her in 2008. We have been there for each other through a lot and I love her dearly. I will never forget how she stayed on speaker phone with me while I drove and cried when my father died while I was on my way from Nashville to St. Louis. Only to make sure I was no alone.
Wow Maria, what an amazing picture. It is so awesome to see God use a friend to extend His hand and hold yours. Thank you so much for sharing this sweet story!
I am so thankful for the friend of mine who put on her pajama’s and came and picked me up in mine because I just had surgery and couldn’t wear anything else and was very discouraged at the time. She knew this. She showed on the front porch in her pj’s and said, “Come on. We’re going to the coffee shop in our pj’s.” And we did. And I have never ever forgotten it.
Love it Melody! An example of friendship that points to God’s character … He meets us right where we are. And your story so beautifully demonstrates how we can share that love in our friendships. Thank you so much for sharing, Melody!
Really related to your words today, Katy. This is a subject that I’ve been thinking a lot of – mostly because I’ve had to let go of some friendships that I felt I was spending more time chasing than cherishing. I’m one who makes friendship a priority and God has been having me sift through those relationships and put priorities in order. Thanks for sharing – just stopping by from Holley’s.
Hi Tiffany! Great to hear from you. So glad you stopped by.
This made me smile because we just moved. My best friend who lives in the “old” neighborhood brought her girls over to our house yesterday. We had a blast and I refuse to let that friendship go! 🙂
Awesome, Sarah! So glad you shared! Makes me smile, too. 🙂
Uh-oh. You are so busting me Katy. I have dropped the ball in the friend department. I just need more time. Thank you for redirecting my heart on this topic. You always inspire me. Cheering you on, one whom I am happy to call “friend”.
And I am happy to call you friend, Kelly. 🙂
I really admire your persistence to read thru the Bible chronologically. This helps us appreciate all the details we might overlook otherwise. And the many translations out there, it’s hard to decide which one to read thru.(I was not familiar with the VOICE). I am thankful the Lord gave me a love for people and I rarely meet a stranger, as I always find a kindred spirit in most every crowd. I have many close friends and it’s difficult to know how to spread the love and keep in touch with so many. But I treasure the fact that we can pick up right where we left off, in spite of miles and years between. Not to mention that a good book can be a “friend” too, especially when it’s an author I’ve met, so the words on the page seem like they are talking with me, like some of my spiritual mentors: Elizabeth Elliott and Kay Author, for example. Thanks to you, Katy, for being a voice for Christian mothers, who need encouragement from the Word. Have a blessed Easter weekend with your family!
This post was really amazing, Katy!! Thank you so much for it.
Friends are probably one of the most important ingredients in my life. A few years ago, my great-grandmother passed away, and I was completely devastated. My great-grandmother had been the one to bring me to the Lord. And she had been there if I had questions, comments or concerns about the Bible.
My close friend came over and just sat with me. Never really saying anything, but just sitting with me… comforting me. Her presence sitting next to me was just enough to console me.
Thank you for re-reminding me that friends are vitally important. They are people to be cherished!!
I love your testimony of your friend just sitting with you. I, too, know that moment and that friend! The presence of a friend can change so much. You are so right, “They are people to be cherished!!” Thanks for sharing here Hannah!