“A true friend sticks by you like family.” Proverbs 18:24b (MSG)
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘You too? I thought I was the only one.” C.S. Lewis
- Take some time today to call your prayer partner. Bring your requests to God together with thanksgiving. Let the Holy Spirit knit your hearts together.
Every Woman Needs Great, Godly Friends
Did you know that you need friends? In fact, as a mother, friends can become your lifeline when life gets overwhelming, which, as I am sure you will agree with me, happens a whole lot.
But I didn’t learn this truth until later in life. I was that girl who, even though I had several people around me who I could call friends, I never really gave myself the opportunity to develop a close relationship with any of them. It was as though my capacity to be a good friend was not there, and as a defense mechanism, I would be friends only if that friendship placed no demands on me. The moment I began to sense the relationship was becoming deeper than surface level, I would withdraw emotionally. I did not want anyone to break down the walls I had built around my heart.
Thankfully, I did have a few friends who broke through my barriers with persistent love. As I grew older and my relationship with God deepened, I began to realize how much of a problem my defensiveness was. God began to open my eyes to understand that if I was to become all that He created me for, I needed to surround myself with people who exemplified what I call ‘my three Gs’— Great, Godly Girlfriends.
Now that I have allowed the Lord to do His work on my heart (an ongoing process!), I can see why I needed these friends all along. I believe every woman should surround herself with three levels of friendships:
- Mentor friends: These are the friends who are older than you, more experienced than you, whom you can ask for counsel from whenever you need it. These relationships are crucial because it is easier to learn from the experience of others than to make the same mistakes.
- Peer friends: These are your contemporaries, they understand your current life’s seasons because they are in that same season as you, or have just gone through that season of life you are in. They are important because you can easily approach them, and they can relate to you at your level.
- Protégé friends: These are the friends whom you can be like a big sister to and help teach something that you’ve already learned. We should all have these relationships because every one of us is able to both give and receive. Protégé friends are crucial because others can be blessed and grow because of you.
So, while it is true that friendships can often be messy and require a lot of work to cultivate, it is also an important part of life, and especially in our lives as women. As you seek true friendships, be ready to also give true friendship in return. Let God’s Word be your guide in all your dealings with friends: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).
Blessings and Love,
Oluseye
Questions to Ponder
- What past situation has stopped you from embracing new relationships? How can you hand them over to God today?
- In what ways can you make yourself available for friendships that the Lord brings your way? How can you be more open to receiving these friendships?
Faith-Filled Ideas
Make a list showing the three categories highlighted above. Place the friends in your life into those categories.
Is there a category that you need more people to fill for you? Pray about this, asking the Holy Spirit to open you up to more of these relationships.
Reach out to someone in each of these three categories this week. You’ll be surprised what great things are waiting for you in those relationships.
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- Prayers Around the World: Oluseye Ashiru Canada - May 11, 2024
- Mothering with Oluseye: Shades of Obedience for Christian Moms - February 26, 2024
2 Comments on “Every Woman Needs Great, Godly Friends”
So sorry to hear about your friend dear Rebecca. I pray for complete healing over your heart and your pain.
And I also pray that the Lord will fill every vacuum left by her passing and bring you beautiful Godly girlfriends.
Thank you so much for reading and I’m thankful to God that this has blessed you.
Have a blessed week ahead of you.
Such good words written!! I moved away from a close friend many years ago and lost touch. We reconnected and became really close again, but sadly she had cancer and died three years later. It was really hard for a while. Thankfully, I also have another very close friend that I call my soul sister. We can talk about anything with each other and we pray and encourage each other often. I don’t know what I would do without her. I loved your 3 G’s’!!