"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Are You A Juggler Too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: making friends is not easy for me. It’s like I am a juggler. One ball is my family, and another is my job. Toss in another ball of pursuing another degree while I keep trying not to drop the ball of seeking the Lord with all my heart.
If I’m honest, the friendship ball doesn’t always make it into the toss. If you’re at all like me, you also know we need friends. We need others to pour into our lives. We need to pour into other’s lives. This is where discipleship is in its purest form. It will take a little effort, so I have five ways you can pick that ball up and add it to the juggle.
Making friends as an adult requires the same key facet as making friends as a child: Find something in common and go from there. “I see you’ve created a tiny human. I, too, have done this.” Or “Nice boots. Check out my Hey Dudes.” Despite the awkwardness, be the one to reach out and suggest an activity—whether joining a fantasy football league or hitting Top Golf with a fellow church member or college pals.
Reconnect with old friends. The quickest way to make “new” friends is to rejoin former ones. They know you best after all. There’s nothing like reconnecting with old friends with whom you share life legacy and who know all your weird quirks.
In absence of a cache of former friends, you can [shudder] make new ones. Maybe it’s the guy who spots you on the bench press at the gym, a coworker, or a church men’s group. The trick here is to observe your surroundings and not act like a hermit crab.
And if your wife is your only friend, invite another couple out for a hike or over for dinner. But don’t be a silent fourth wheel.
Go to (and be) the church. The church is a place where a lot of guys are like you. They face the same struggles and are probably equally bad at making friends. Instead of just heading straight to your seat, engage in some conversations that are intentionally about getting to know someone.
Remember This
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Travis Sellers
MD5 Huddle Facilitator
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