Have you ever been excited to get together with a friend? But then, after you leave, you feel worse than when you arrived? Whether sad, a heavy heart, or just like something’s off?
What about a time when you got together with a friend and you left feeling supported, heard, encouraged, and prayed for?
While I don’t believe a person should seek out friends who only make them feel good about themselves, I do think it’s important to evaluate your friendships once in a while and see if there are any trends worth noting.
Every single encounter with a friend isn’t going to be perfect and leave a person feeling happy and carefree. However, if most of the interactions leave a person emotionally exhausted, heavy of heart, or “feeling badly about themselves,” it might be worth asking God why.
What kinds of friendships do you have – ones that are mutually encouraging, supportive, and centered around God values?
Or do your friendships lack that feeling of togetherness and commitment to each other?
© Cheri Swalwell 2019