Hearts Wide Open

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

—John 15:12-13 ­­­

Olivia stood on the platform teaching to a crowd of nearly 200 women. She always saw herself on a platform speaking, but only in her dreams. Only in the past year, God made it a reality with several women’s events on her schedule as keynote speaker.

“I never thought I really needed friendships with other women,” she began. “I experienced those mean girls from an early age and grew up feeling like I should protect myself, so I built a wall. I determined I wouldn’t let them in.” She noticed women nodding their heads and saying, “amen.”

“The only women I trusted were the ones in my family. I have very strong family bonds within the women in my family that go back four generations, I didn’t need other female relationships in my life – or so I thought,” she continued.

“After I became a Christian, God connected me to some amazing women and directed me to develop friendships with them. They opened their hearts wide to me, shared their hopes and dreams, and have been used by God to speak his truth into my life.”

The room erupted into applause and the women embraced Olivia and the words she shared that day.

Have past experiences with others kept you from new friendships? Consider your friendships. Make sure those relationships encourage and inspire you to grow stronger in your relationship with Him.

Today’s One Thing

Ask God about your friendships today. Does He have changes He wants you to make to your current friendships?

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