Becoming a Good Friend - A Few Minutes of Bible Study - Episode 2
"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous- how well I know it."- Psalm 139:14 NLT
Take a minute to glance at the wallpaper on your phone or computer screen. What is it an image of? What does it represent to you? What, by looking at it, are you reminded of? Is it an image of people? When I asked this question to a room full of Young Life leaders and high schoolers, most of us answered: pictures of people."These are my friends." "My friends." "Friends." Friends are an important part of our lives. We embrace them tightly and suffer greatly when one moves away or a conflict ends the relationship. God never intended for us to live alone. Our relationships with other people are so important. He purposefully places the people around us! No relationship, however, is more important than one with our Father in Heaven through Christ Jesus. The power of the Holy Spirit in us through Christ gives us a new perspective of ourselves and the other people in our lives.
What is Self-Awareness?
"Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out." Proverbs 20:5 NLT
Self-awareness is not akin to self-centeredness. I think we get the two confused a lot. In a world obsessed with "self," it's important to reference the Father of all relationships to learn how to cultivate healthy ones. The Bible talks a lot about friendship, but it's important to know ourselves before we can maintain a good relationship with someone else. Being self-aware is different than being self-centered. Self- centered is the arrogant circling of everything in our world around our preferences. Self-awareness bodes a knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus. All of us have strengths and weaknesses. When we are aware of them, we can bring an authentic presence to friendships and relationships. Self-aware people are not dependent on someone else's praise or crushed by criticism because they know who and Whose we are ...
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Originally published May 18, 2023.
