Precautions for Stormy Friendships

Part 4

There are counties in the Midwest that have alarm systems built in their towns that warn them of an oncoming storm. This alarm gives them some time to seek shelter. His Holy Spirit is our alarm system and He can warn us in advance that we need to take cover. When a family takes cover they usually go into a basement stocked with canned food and water, a flashlight with batteries, and a battery operated radio. This is a well equipped family. We can take precautions to keep our friendships safe

from storms.

Begin with the right foundation: 

Jesus Christ should be the foundation of all our friendships. If we build our friendships based on

what kind of coffee they serve us when we go for a visit not a good foundation.

Keep your focus:

Our focus should always be in Christ. Seeking Him each day and abiding in Him, together, will keep your friendships under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91)

Limit your time together:

I know this may be difficult for some women to understand. They enjoy their friendships and want to spend as much time as possible together. This is not a wise decision.

{Proverbs 25:17}
“Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.” 

Too much time together can lead to a shaky structure and is bound to fall when the storms hit.

Don’t own your friendships:

Sometimes friends tend to expect a blind loyalty. They feel that only they have the right to have that friendship. This is a selfish place to be. If we behaved that way with our relationship with Christ how would our loved ones ever experience His love through us? We don’t own our friends, so share your friendships with others. We don’t have exclusive rights to them.

Avoid Gossip:

It becomes far too easy to listen to and spread gossip when we have close friendships. If you’re having a difficulty with a friend, don’t go to your other friends about it, go to our Lord.

We can avoid gossip by:

-Limiting telephone conversations to the basics. By this I mean that

you should use the telephone for making plans to see each other, praying

with each other, or calling in to say hello from time to time.

-Don’t ask your friends to keep secrets. If you're sharing something in confidence be sure to understand that sometimes people break one another's confidences. It 'could' happen and if so how would you feel? Be careful what you share.

-Guard your social media outlets from gossip. It’s far too easy to text, email,  or even Tweet things you wouldn’t normally say to someone in person. Think and pray before hitting the ‘send’ button.

These are just a few tips I have learned from experience. That experience, at times, were after making the mistakes of not following these tips. Drink from the Living Water and your friendships will grow.

Stay tuned for part 5

~Sis