Why Leaning on Others Leads to Growth - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - June 12, 2026

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

As a child, I loved seeing the classic television shows like “I Love Lucy,” “Donna Reed,” and others, where their milk and other groceries were delivered to their back doors.

It may seem silly to some, but it was a dream of mine as a kid, to have my groceries delivered. I could thank the great shutdown of 2020 for making it a reality, with grocery stores and big-box stores stepping up to deliver groceries.

Most of the places we lived in the past, deliveries weren’t affordable, but ever since grocers started delivering at affordable prices, I don’t feel the need to go to their stores; I order online. I enjoy leisurely cruising the rows online more than roaming the store aisles in search of items, especially when grocers mix it up a bit and rearrange products.

I’ve discovered how searching online for the exact items and finding them fairly easily is personally more fun for me than pushing a squeaky, off-kilt cart aisle after aisle, loading items in the cart, out of the cart to price scan, back into the cart to bag, then out of the cart into the trunk, and ultimately out of the trunk into the house.

Shopping online greatly shortens the shopping process and experience by leaps and bounds, while also helping the local economy by keeping shoppers and deliveries busy.

Change of Mind, Change of Heart

But there was a time when I didn’t even consider the idea of someone else, nevertheless a stranger, picking out my family’s food, touching, smelling, and choosing my produce, dairy, meats, along with our boxed and canned items.

However, considering the cost of gas, which is near $5 a gallon as I write, plus my time and energy, my thoughts and viewpoints on it have changed.

Of course, there have been letdowns, but more often than not, there have been pleasant surprises, with substitutions for out-of-stock products leading to new experiences, tastes, and likes.

How Leaning on Others Helps Us Grow

What I’ve found is that sometimes, leaning on others leads to growth and is often better than doing it myself. Also, sometimes, someone else chooses better for me than I do for myself.

When we lean on others, we aren’t just being supported; we’re also being taught things about ourselves, about them, and about the world at large. 

Leaning on others helps God to cause growth in us in ways we aren’t able to learn on our own. It helps us see life through other people’s lenses, which can often help us see more clearly on some things and see, as well, things we may have been overlooking or missing altogether.

A Far-Fetching Analogy to Some

Maybe my analogy seems far-fetched to some, but that’s one of many wonderful and unique ways God teaches us things that lead to growth, in ways we can individually grasp and comprehend.

Because God knitted each of us in the womb, even though we are much alike with one another, we are also uniquely hand-made by God, meaning we are different in ways only He, our designer and life-giver, understands.

So, who better to teach us in ways He knows we’ll get and click with? 

Likewise, there are most likely those around us, leaning on us, too, whether we realize it or not. And who knows, God may be teaching those who are shopping and delivering my groceries things through my choices? It’s something I haven’t ever really considered until now.

As the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:6, lest we forget, underestimate, or think what we’re doing in life has no effect. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”

God causes us to learn and grow from each other in wonderful and mysterious ways. As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 cheers us on, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Let’s Pray:

Dear Father, help me to lean on others and be open and willing to grow as I do. Open my mind and my heart to welcome what You are teaching me in the process. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/FG Trade

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.

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Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!