My deepest fear was realized when I was 10 years old. I rode my bike along a narrow path that followed the bank of a swiftly moving river. I fell, with my bike, into the deep, swirling water. I began to thrash about, pleading to my older brother, “Help I’m drowning!”
With a strange calmness in his voice, he yelled, “Stand up!” I then realized I’d drifted to a shallower place in the river. Embarrassed, I did as he said. His command probably saved my life.
Over and over God calls us into relationships. God wisely pronounced in Genesis, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). In the New Testament, the directive is clearly stated, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Jesus modeled how relationships can transform lives, even in situations which may seem uncomfortable.
I am convinced I still need people in my life who will, with clarity and calmness, speak words that will save my life. Friends, mentors, or sometimes strangers, who will tell me the truth.
Are you drowning in a situation in which you need the clear words of a good friend? Then turn the question around. Who needs your life-giving words, like the ones my brother spoke to me?
Lord, I confess my desire for comfort, for shunning those uncomfortable conversations that are ultimately needed. I desire your wisdom and strength to speak, and also to receive, words that give life and save lives. May I intentionally act “as iron sharpening iron” with a godly combination of grace and truth! Amen.
Go Deeper — Are you avoiding people who might make you feel uncomfortable yet deep down you know you need their influence? Is there someone God is calling you to direct, even if doing so may make you feel uneasy?
Dear readers, we would greatly appreciate you joining us in praying for Leah Kullman and family. She is a former member of our editorial team and is grieving the sudden and tragic loss of her husband, Graham, who suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke just last week.
Photo Credit: Paul Rysz