Bless, Not Impress - Encouragement for Today - June 30, 2026

Jennie Cunnion June 30, 2026

Bless, Not Impress
JEANNIE CUNNION

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds …” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

If you feel lonely, you are not alone. If you’re afraid of not finding the breadth and depth of relationships that you long for, you’re not the only one. Loneliness is being called the new epidemic in America.

Our desire for connection is actually good and godly. God created us for connection. And by His Spirit in us, we can be strengthened to pursue Christ alongside our sisters in Christ, to encounter His loving presence and the companionship we crave.

When I think about the times I’ve felt the loneliest, it’s ironic that those times aren’t marked by being physically alone. We can have lives filled with people (co-workers, a church community, or family) and still feel terribly alone. Unseen. Unknown. Unloved. Unworthy.

What helps me is preaching truth to my heart, which usually looks like worshipping. I play gospel-centered music and sing aloud what my heart needs to remember: Jesus loved me enough to make a way for me to be in a deeply personal and loving relationship with God. Though I might feel terribly alone, His Spirit lives within me. I am that valuable to Him. I am that known by Him. Even in my disobedience, disappointment, and distrust, He remains in me and for me. He loves to love me.

Getting our identity rightly rooted in Christ is how we courageously move forward to pursue connection with our sisters in Christ. Yes, it is risky — because fallen humans will mess up in relationships. We cannot expect from one another what we can only receive from Jesus, the One who will never fail us. But if we remember the forgiveness that Jesus so generously lavishes on us when we fail Him, we are empowered to forgive others when they fail us.

Jesus’ friends let Him down, betrayed Him, and denied knowing Him. But He modeled how to live free from bitterness and loneliness by forgiving. And He spurred them “on toward love and good deeds” for the glory of the Father, as we are instructed to do in Hebrews 10:24-25:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (NIV).

Many years ago, a mentor profoundly impacted how I pursue meaningful friendships. She said, “Let your aim be to bless, not impress.” This is so essential to us overcoming loneliness and cultivating life-giving friendships.

You have nothing to prove when you know to whom you belong, the extent He went to rescue you, and the forgiveness and love He so lavishly extends to you. You are free to be a woman who blesses others with your words and actions.

Father, help me be a woman who compels others in love and good deeds — a woman whose confidence in Your love is so contagious that my life flourishes in deep friendships and You are glorified in my good deeds. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

To learn more about having a place in God’s family and being inspired to become a better sister and friend, check out Friends & Sisters, a five-week Bible study from Lifeway Women.

ENGAGE

Jeannie Cunnion is a bestselling author and speaker whose most recent books and Bible studies include Closer to God, Mom Set Free, Don’t Miss Out, and Never Alone. Connect with Jeannie at jeanniecunnion.com.

Enter to WIN your very own copy of Friends & Sisters from Lifeway Women. To celebrate this book, Lifeway will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, July 6, 2026.}