November 14, 2017

How the Right Friends Help You Fulfill Your Purpose

Written by Shana Schutte

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 14, 2017

By Shana Schutte

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm Proverbs 13:20.

Mother Teresa said, “I can do things you cannot. You can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” Those are wise words we see demonstrated in many lives in Scripture.

Moses accomplished God’s plan with the help of others; Nehemiah rallied helpers together to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall; the disciples relied on one another, Paul relied on Timothy and Barnabas, and even Jesus was dependent on His Father.

Today, every pastor, football coach, disaster recovery leader, author, youth minister, company CEO, mother, and teacher accomplish the great things they do because they have supportive, servant-minded people standing with them who believe in their God-given mission.

This is why it’s so important to surround yourself with those who will pull you toward God’s plan for your life and not away from it. It’s important to make friends with people who will celebrate what God is calling you to and who don’t shame you or tell you what you believe God is asking you to do isn’t possible.

In Numbers 13, the Lord told Moses to send some men out from the Israelite camp to spy on the land of Canaan, the land He was giving them, and come back with a report. They did, and when they returned, they reported that the land was beautiful just as God promised, but that there were giants already living there.

They said, “. . . the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan” (Numbers 13:28-29).

But Caleb, who believed what God promised said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. (Numbers 13:30).

But the naysayers who had gone on the mission said something like, “No way. They are stronger than we are. We are like grasshoppers compared to them” (Numbers 13:31-33).

To make a long story short, the whole camp became very upset and some of them wished they had been left in Egypt. The Lord wasn’t happy. He said, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”

Can you imagine what would have happened if those naysayers hadn’t been naysayers at all and instead they supported Moses because they believed the Lord? They would have been inspired to go and take the land God had promised. But instead, they were afraid and paralyzed and refused to do the tasks God had called them to.

This is a great example of why it’s important to surround yourself with people who believe in your God-given mission. That’s how great things happen. This is how you can fulfill your calling, and this is how you help others be all they can for the Lord, too. Be a believer. Don’t be a doubter or driven by fear. Nothing good can come from that.

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

 

Prayer

Lord, give me the wisdom I need to surround myself with people who believe You and help me to trust You so I am an encouragement to others as they fulfill their God-given purpose.

Application

If you haven’t already, make a list of several friends to be in your inner circle, who you can consult during times when you need support and direction. Then ask them if they will be a part of your inner circle.

Related Reading

Proverbs 14:6-7; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Proverbs 12:26

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God’s will is normally accomplished through wise relationships. #WisdomHunters #TogetherWeCan

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