Feed Your Faith with Friendships

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

It Is Better To Have a Friend

9 You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. 11 If you sleep alone, you won’t have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. 12 Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, “A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break.”

Proverbs 27:17 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

17 Just as iron sharpens iron,

    friends sharpen the minds

    of each other.

I would like to start today with an analogy that a dear friend shared with me.  

When planting a seed, you don’t plant it in the darkness where it will not receive the nourishment it needs to grow.  You find the best soil, a place with little or no shade, and then nurture it with water and fertilizer.  

Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark place.  A place in which we are not getting the love and nourishment we need for our hearts to flourish.  We need to surround ourselves with people that encourage us.  We need to feed our minds with inspiration through reading, listening, or watching things that give us determination and grit.  We need to nurture our hearts, minds, and body.   

Friendship is a gift from God.   When you feel like you have a connection with someone that is going to align with your goals, you need to grab onto that friend and find more.  These relationships will continue to flourish and grow.   The definition of tribe means “a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest” (Webster).  Having different supportive tribes that surround you daily is so important.  If you don’t have a supportive tribe in your workplace, find something that fuels you.  Put inspirational quotes around you or listen to podcasts.  Be intentional on fueling your mind.  This is vital.  If you have a “tribe, be open to allowing others in to be nurtured as well.  Once you have that, don’t let it go.  

Be Blessed!