Posts Tagged god

How To Have Strong Friendships

Posted by Ann Shorb in Bible on May 11th, 2010

In my line of work I talk to people on almost a daily basis that are dealing with hurt and pain from friendships gone bad. The are any number of reasons that friendships can and do go bad, and regardless of the reason it usually leaves those involved with pain and hurt. We all desire to have good friends and strong, healthy relationships.

The strongest foundation you can have for building healthy friendships is making sure that your own relationship with God is right. When you are born again and have His Spirit living within you, then the good fruit of the Spirit begins to grow.

As you daily read His Word and seek to live in the light of what He teaches you, godly character naturally develops. You learn to treat others with His love and grace. Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are evident in your life, and these are all conducive to satisfying relationships.

If I walk in God’s light and you walk in His light as well, then it is impossible for us not to have a healthy friendship! We automatically have things in common. Our overall goals and values will be in harmony with each other. Our relationship will not be destroyed by pride, anger, hurt, unkindness or jealousy. We’ll confront when necessary, speak the truth in love, and leave past hurts and frustrations at the cross of Christ.

While it’s certainly a good thing to be in a healthy relationship with God, doing so doesn’t mean that your friends will necessarily have the same values as you. They may not have an interest in walking with the Lord. However, even if this is the case you can still bring a lot of positive things to the friendship. Focus on your own relationship with God and pray for your friends that may need it.

For an interesting study, take a look at 1 Corinthians 13 considering this to be an instruction manual for developing healthy relationships. Think about each of the characteristics of love described in that passage and see how it applies to starting and growing a satisfying, lasting friendship.

Father, thank you for helping me to build a solid foundation for my earthly relationships. I ask for your help to make me a better friend both to You and to all of those people who are in my life.

Dr. Ann Shorb provides professional counseling to individuals, families, and couples from her Hanover, PA office. She helps clients with a wide variety of issues including Christian marital counseling, premarital counseling, addiction, AD/HD, depression, anxiety, and more.

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Giant-Sized Faith

Posted by Dr. Ann Shorb in Bible on November 9th, 2009

In the Bible we read a story about two men: one a great, great big man who didn’t love God, and didn’t know God, and didn’t really want anything to do with the true and living God; and another, an average sized young man who did love God, and served God, and wanted to do whatever God wanted Him to do.

You know it as the story of David and Goliath, and you know how it turns out. Two opposing armies were camped in a valley and it led up to one of the most famous, and quick, battles in history. On one side were the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people. On the other side was the army of the Philistines, a group of people that wanted nothing to do with the God of Israel.

The army of the Philistines had threatened to wipe out the children of Israel and they sent their biggest man, Goliath, with a challenge to say, “Whoever will come and fight me, I will fight. If I win, you will be our slaves; and if you win, we will be your slaves.”

I hesitate to say it, but the army of Israel really was not doing so well. In fact, they were just plain scared; until David, a young man with his tremendous faith in God came along. Because you see, David knew something that the other people had forgotten about. David knew that God gives us the power to do whatever we have to do, no matter the circumstances.

David went out to face Goliath without the weapons and the strength that most people would think were necessary to even have a slim chance to come out alive, but David did have complete faith in God. He trusted that despite the odds, God would supply him with everything he needed to win this fight.

David defeated Goliath that famous day because he had faith in God and he was willing to act on it and trust God with his life. As he approached Goliath he told him that it was not in his own strength that he would fight, but that of God. As you experience trials and tribulations in your own life, follow the wonderful example that David set for us and simply trust God.

How can you do that? As you trust Him, He’ll just make things happen that you never believed possible. He’ll give you extra strength. He’ll give you extra courage. He can provide extra funds, extra work, extra assurance, extra peace, extra calm, extra kind people to help mend broken hearts. He can do all. Remember, my friend, He can give you the power to do and to take care of whatever needs to be, no matter what the circumstances.

Dr. Ann Shorb is a professional counselor in Pennsylvania in PA, speaker, and writer. You can get more information at the website of her ministry, Christian Counseling & Educational Services.

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