“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”  Romans 12:13 NLT

I used to feel like a prisoner locked inside my own world not knowing how to escape. Have you been here? Have you noticed that it is hard to talk to others around you about you? I consider myself a very private person. It was always hard for me to open up and share with others how I was really doing.

Over the years I have seen so many people betrayed because they shared intimate details about their lives with others they felt could be trusted. I knew at that point I didn’t want to be in that place having to suffer the embarrassment and the pain they experienced. Out of my own need God birthed a desire in me to become a safe place for others to heal.

We all need someone. We all need an outlet. We were never meant to be an island isolated from everyone else. It was never God’s plan for man to be alone. It is so freeing to be able to know that we have people in our corner that are genuinely concerned about us and our well-being. If you find yourself where I once was, ask God to lead you to the person you can be open with. Someone that has His heart for you. It may be a trusted friend, counselor, or pastor. Once you begin getting the help you need, will you also consider becoming a safe place for others to lean?

Lord, I often find myself drifting back into isolation out of fear of being hurt again. I ask that you lead me to the safe place of healing that is available for me. I ask that you teach me who to trust with my innermost thoughts. I pray that even as You heal me that I too will become a safe place for others to heal.

Thought:  Make a list of people you know that you consider a safe place. Then pray and ask God to lead you to who maybe the best for you to open your heart to. As you begin to sort through all of this, journaling is another form of unloading our hearts.

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

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The post We All Need Somebody appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22 (TNIV)

Owen and Mzee are an odd pair. Owen is a baby hippopotamus, while Mzee is a 100+ year old tortoise.

In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Owen (the baby hippo) was found, orphaned from his mother, and transferred to Haller Park in Kenya. There he was put into an enclosure with many other animals, but no hippos. Distraught and needing guidance and companionship, the young hippo quickly formed a bond with Mzee, a 130-year-old Aldabran tortoise. Owen quickly began mimicking his unusual adopted parent’s actions, following him wherever he went. “They swim, eat and sleep together,” said ecologist Paula Kahumbu. “The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother.”

What an unexpected and marvelous friendship! In our passage today, the apostle Paul explains how he became “all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” This does not mean that Paul was faking who he was, for elsewhere he admonishes us not to lie (Colossians 3:9). Nor does it imply that Paul himself is the one doing the saving. Our commission is not to “convert” anyone. God Himself alone saves by His grace (Ephesians 2:8); our commission is to be witnesses to the truth and show people the truth.

Paul was willing to meet people where they are. Although unwilling to compromise on the essentials of the faith (1 Corinthians 15) he welcomed everyone to learn from him, and came alongside others to patiently disciple them (Acts 28:30).

Let’s be on the lookout for others who could use a friend, even if they seem quite different from us. These often will become the most amazing of friendships, like Owen an Mzee. Through such unlikely friendships, our hope will be that some may come into a saving faith in Jesus.

Let us become weak to those who are weak, so that we may together become strong in the redeeming sacrifice and love of Christ!

By Darren Hewer
Used by Permission

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The post Amazing Friendships appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”  1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Social media has seeped into every aspect of our lives. It’s popular because it allows us to keep in touch with people. It gives us the platform to express our opinions and share our lives. And to be honest, it feels good when people respond to us. When comments show up on a recent post, it affirms who we are and what’s important to us.

But isn’t there something we’re missing amidst all the likes and comments? What about the actual connection? Is Facebook something that exists for us just to keep tabs on each other? The truth is it’s easier to hide behind a computer screen than to engage people. Shouldn’t it really be called unsocial media?

I’ve begun policing myself by asking some hard questions: “Why am I posting this rather than calling a friend?” And, “If none of my friends were on Social media, would I know what is going on in their lives?”

It seems paradoxical to be ambitious about leading a quiet, private life, but that is what the Apostle Paul asks of the Christians in Thessalonica. He was trying to stop the schemes of the busybodies of his day. I think we can take his advice to put balance in our lives.

Making real connections with the people God has put in our lives is the way we fulfill our destiny. Social media only resembles real connection. Putting down our devices and reaching a hand to the people directly around us gives us real significance.

Lord, show me my motivation for using social media. Am I keeping real connections with the people in my life? Is the draw of expressing my views and sharing my life with a bigger audience leading me away from the people you have placed in my immediate path? Show me how to use my time wisely and bring balance to my day. Amen.

Action: Take a Social Media fast. Reduce the amount of time you spend on social media for a week. Or make a deal with yourself that for every check of your news feed or every post you make, you must call or meet face-to-face with one friend. (That’s right, call. Texting doesn’t count!)

By Debbie West
used by permission

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