‭‭Psalm‬ ‭38‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬ — I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

Do you struggle with the words “I am sorry?” We are human so the natural answer is probably a yes. Last week Deborah shared about friendships. Often our closest friends, especially spouses and our children, don’t always get to hear an apology.

In this verse from Psalms iniquity means sinfulness. Although we may not have physically sinned in our relationships, our thoughts may be sinful. Often our thoughts will determine our words and actions. An apology may not solve everything but it is working toward the humility of our hearts and minds. It is also the first step in healing a bruised relationship.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for the forgiveness we have through Christ Jesus. Give us the humility we need to extend a heartfelt apology when needed. May our thoughts, words, and actions be in line with Your word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬ — Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

Join us as we have a chat together to finish up our week on friends. Click here to watch today’s See You Saturday post.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a NIV — Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

Today I have two challenges for you. First, reach out in a different and special way to your friends. Make a phone call or send a text letting them know how much your friendship means to you and how much you value them. If you want to be very daring, actually write and mail a note. Take the time and attention to show appreciation to your Earthly friends.

Secondly, I challenge you to reach out in a different and special way to Jesus. Do something different than your normal routine to show appreciation for your friendship with Him. Perhaps, light a candle and speak out loud to Him. Another idea is to choose a special item to represent your friendship with Him and place it in a prominent place or in your line of vision. Each time you glance at the object, whisper a prayer of thanksgiving for His friendship. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to let Jesus know how much you value Him.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for sending Him to be my friend. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 27:17 NIV — As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

As I have been thinking this week about my various friends and friendships I realize there is one thing they all have in common: I have a connection with all of them. Connection is the lifeline of friendship. Some synonyms for connection include relationship, kinship, affinity, and linkage. Think about how those words relate to your friendships. My relationships are strengthened through being intentional about daily connections such as spending time together, having conversations, phone calls, or texts. My friends and I encourage and challenge one another. How do you foster your relationships?

Now think about your friendship with Jesus? What do you do to strengthen your relationship with Him? How do you stay connected with Him? Do you have a daily time to sit at the feet of Jesus to pray and study His word? If not, I encourage you to make that a priority in growing your friendship with Him.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Help me to be intentional about connecting with my friends and especially with Jesus Christ. Help me to cultivate connections. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Matthew 19:26 NIV — Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Has this week been difficult for you as we have been talking about friends and friendship? Are you someone who doesn’t have many friends nearby? Are you lonely and searching for friendships? The best way to make friends is to be a friend. Making friends requires stepping out of your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. To make friends, find ways you can get involved outside of your home. Perhaps you can volunteer with a community organization. Brainstorm ways to get involved with activities at your church.

When tackling a difficult task, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.” Making friends requires stepping out of the boat and walking on water. It may be hard, but you can do it!

Let’s pray. Dear God, Help me to take the first step in faith and trust that You will reveal the rest of the stairs as I need them. Help me to step out of my comfort zone to meet others and be a friend. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV — Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

As I reflect on my friendships, I realize how blessed I am to have friends so in tune with what’s going on in my life who send me encouraging texts at all times of day. Sometimes I receive a phone call from a friend that is right on time that helps me to persevere in the midst of a bad day. A good friend embodies today’s featured scripture. A good friend builds up and encourages others. Are you a good friend? Are you in tune to the trials and tribulations of your friends? Do you reach out to your friends to encourage and build them up? How can you be a better friend today? Encourage a friend today by sending an encouraging text, note, or phone call.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Thank You for friends who are right on time with their encouragement. Help me to follow the example of Christ and be a better friend. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 18:24 ESV — A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Think about all the friends you have in all the areas of your life. You may have childhood friends, friends from work, friends from church, friends you know through your children’s extracurricular activities, college friends, etc. As I reflect, I realize I have friends that fall into all of those categories except lasting childhood friendships. As the daughter of a United Methodist minister, I moved often which made it difficult to form lasting childhood friendships. Lacking childhood friendships doesn’t make my life less full of love. Each of the groups of friends have different dynamics and different blessings. However, they are all human friendships which means that like me, they have faults. There are times that each of us fail one another because each of us is flawed. However, we all have a friend in Jesus Christ who is perfect. He will stick closer to us than anyone else will.

Let’s pray. Dear God, Show me my imperfections that sometimes cause me to hurt my friends. Help me to be a better friend. Thank You for the perfect friend we have in our Savior. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.