the gift of friendship to accomplish God’s work
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Nehemiah 4:15-23, Proverbs 11:14, Hebrews 10:24-25
BY Diana Stone
Text: Nehemiah 4:15-23, Proverbs 11:14, Hebrews 10:24-25
Nehemiah may not strike you as a story that deals with relationships, but at the core of this book is a powerful message about God’s children working together to accomplish a holy purpose. In this case, it was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, all while preparing for a possible attack on the city.
Nehemiah has a gift for asking for help and being specific in his needs. While it was his initial desire to rebuild Jerusalem, we see him gather up the Israelites to become active participants in this, to do whatever job they could do.
It might have been very easy for Nehemiah to take all this on and then whine about a lack of volunteers. Instead, he asked directly for what he needed. He didn’t worry about being a bother, he let God take care of their hearts while he went ahead with his mission.
When we ask for help and work with others for the Lord’s calling, we open doors that might have been impossible to open alone. God rarely has a solo plan for His work, and our lives intertwine with other Christians so that we all can draw from each other’s strengths.
Our Christian friendships allow us to use each other’s God given gifts to work together for His greater plan.
As women, we often struggle with turning to another in a time of need. We’re told not to be annoying, to go with the flow, to stick it out. Being able to turn to another woman who loves the Lord changes so much in our lives. Whether it’s a commitment to pray for us as mothers or daughters, to encourage us on a job hunt, to stand by us during a hard time in our relationships, to help with something tangible – we need each other.
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV)
Today, think about Godly women in your life who may be blessed if you turn to them with a need. Bind together in your friendships for Christ and see what marvels take place for His glory.
“…and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NASB)
92 thoughts on "the gift of friendship to accomplish God’s work"
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When I became a Christian a few years ago, God fulfilled one of my greatest desires- to have close female friends. Without these friends, when something rocked my world not long after, I would have taken apart completely. I thank Him daily for bringing me to Him when He did, when I needed Him most- and the people He put in my life. He saved my life.
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Asking for help is a very, very difficult thing for me to do. I often think I can do it all on my own. I am very stubborn about getting help because all I think of in my mind is that I'm being lazy or not working hard enough. I know it's silly to think that way but it's something I do. Last summer, my husband was deployed and I was pregnant with twins(4-5 months along at the time). We also have four other children under the age of nine. We have over an acre of just grass that had to be mowed, well about every week. And I would do it. One day, our elderly neighbor came over and insisted that he take care of it till my husband got back. It was hard for me to agree at the time.
I do the same kind of thing with taking care of the kids. I will work myself to pretty much death and my husband will tell me I need to leave the house for awhile or go rest. Today's devotional was a great reminder that I need to not be afraid to ask for help from others. I don't know if it's the introverted part of myself that does it or it's just my personality.
As I read this one, I was reminded of the verse from Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 " Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." With moving around a lot as a military spouse and being on the introverted side, I am working on building friendships with other women. I recently wrote this verse on our chalkboard door in the kitchen and it's been a great reminder for me to remember that I don't need to face life alone.
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I for one have trouble asking for help. Sometimes it is out of fear to bother people, other times it is because I feel like it will be faster and better done if I do it myself. So there I go huffing and puffing and getting mad at people around me for being useless when I am the one who refuses asking for help. How can i get mad at people when they do not even know I need help in the first place?! I always seem to make the same mistake – think that it is so obvious that I am struggling with something that people around me should just run towards me with their arms stretched out, ready to catch me falling. Assumption! How many times has it failed me, yet I continue to rely on it over and over again.
I recently read C. S. Lewis' essay on Pride and it hit me like a brick wall. The real reason behind me doing all by myself, the ugly truth, is pride. Not wanting to bother people? Yeah right! More like I don't want people to think I am weak. Doing things myself gets it done faster and better? Ha! How perfect do I think I am? This is pride talking in me, the worst sin of all. And I never saw it coming either. I mean, for all I knew I was being humble by not worrying people wit my problems. It's amazing how it sneaked up on me disguised as a righteous feeling.
God, thank you for making me realize and acknowledge the real issue behind my actions. Please help me keep my pride in check and let me allow myself to be vulnerable. After all in our weakest you are the strongest. Let me rely on you during my hardships and accept help from those around me, since it is you stretching out your hands to me through them. Allow me to voice my problems without the fear of being judged by others but most of all by myself. Let me be not my worst enemy. Thank you Lord for being the light in my life and for leading me to this amazing community of such wonderful women. This just shows that you know what we struggle with even before we know it ourselves.
I have just realized my prayer has been already answered!
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The C.S. Lewis essay sounds really good. I will have to look into reading that one. Thanks for sharing!
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Just what I needed today! Sunday we started looking at the life of David, in our church,specifically the friendship aspect. For that morning. That same morning my best friend of 18 years, skyped from Europe, where she now lives. If it wasn’t for my sleeping baby, in my arms I would of cried during the message. These last 2 years we have suffered through a great loss of friendships,some for awesome reasons others, unexplainable, topped off with having 2 babies in less then 2 years. It’s a huge struggle to seek “help” while trying not to be ungrateful, receive pitty friends. It’s an incredibly hard community to find genuine, deep, meaningful friendship. My prayers for the last 6 years is to find just that for myself, my husband and us together. Blessings ladies!
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Just left Bible Study at my church and we also started studying the chapter Nehemiah. Being together with other Christians to study the Bible is always an uplift for me. When I'm around other Christians especially at church and has we begin to discuss God's words and what He has done in our lives every burden on my mind is released. I thank God for fellowship.
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"Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other." I see myself in Nehemiah 4:17. Right now, after Mother's Day and my birthday (yikes!) I am back in the swirling chaos stuck in my head. Stuck in deep grief again. Laboring on with my work to get up and try again every day, but fighting back dark thoughts and worries and despair that surround me, right now. I keep typing "right now" because I know it is important to allow these dark feelings and thoughts to exist for a time. It is normal for me to fall into grief again during this time of spring, my first Mother's Day without my mom, another Mother's Day without children of my own. Eventually this stretch of grief will dim somewhat and I'll be brighter again. Eventually. Right now I am burdened greatly with both hands. I also feel quite lost, alone, and lonely. And I'm tired of feeling this way, tired of my life always feeling so up in the air. I know I've been through a lot in the last few years and maybe now is still a time of transition. In my usual habit of rushing to the next thing, I need to remember to take notice of the now, feel what I need to feel right now, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. It would be lovely to have a community of girlfriends to surround me in real life, to boost me up during times like these; but as someone else posted above – at least I've got this SRT community and it is special to me. I've learned a lot about other people as I have walked through my loss and grief; I've learned you can't always count on the people you thought would stand by you. At the end of the day, all you can really count on is Jesus and God's word. It never changes, is always there ready and willing to comfort, love, and strengthen even the saddest hearts. Writing about friendship among women can be a touchy subject for many of us; some of us are introverted and have a hard time putting ourselves out there in real life. Some of us always feel like the perpetual outsider among Christian women, especially when we don't fit that traditional role of our age/station in life (unmarried + no children = no easy connection or instant conversation starter with other women in the church). It's comforting to think that God rarely has a solo plan for His work, especially during the very "alone" times we all have. I know God is still working in this lost and lonely time I am in. Whatever all of you are facing right now, whether it's a dark time like me or a joyful time where all cylinders are firing and you are surrounded and adored by loving, Godly husbands, children, and friends – I pray for us all that we experience a greater sense of God's will for each one of our lives.
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Lauren, you have been prayed for sweet lady. Grief comes and goes throughout the years. We simply take it along with us (when it is present) as we live for the Lord. My mom died when I was 14–now many years later there are moments when I so wish she was here to share a special event–I think this is more than natural.
I'll pray for your connections with other women too!
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Somehow, when I read the sentence about how as women we often struggle turning to one another in time of need or hurting- I found myself surprised at this. Because, I feel this way but I have always been ashamed and embarrassed by it. WHYYY should I be?! I am clearly not alone- we as women are wired so uniquely and special. We need one another. Today I had lunch with a Christian girl friend, it's a new friendship but I was so excited to read this today after spending precious time with her talking about the Lord, life, love and all things related to our current struggles. It was so fulfilling to have a meaningful conversation with another women who GETS IT. I am not alone and I am so blessed the Lord has brought her into my life.
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I'm comforted to know that so many sisters feel the same way as I do, here. I've been asking for friends who love me and love him, a community like the ones I've had. But I've been building it up so much in my mind that I forget to step back, rely on God and just enjoy what He has given me. SheReadsTruth has been an answer to these prayers more than I know, and fully realizing how the Lord has already blessed me has made me a 1000% more content than I was before. Praying that we'd all look to Him for this desire of friendship and trust that He will provide us all that we could ever need. Praise Him.
Also, "When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!” -Nehemiah 4:20 really stuck out to me. How the trumpeter was always ready to blow the horn, how everyone was always ready to fight the battle, and how they all had to come together to be a truly formidable army against the opposition. Lord, guard me against the enemy's attacks; help me, help us, to band together with other believers when this occurs, always ready to do good and to fight the good fight (Titus 3:1, 1 Tim 6:12).
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