Friendship: The 2nd Essential YOU Need to Flourish!
Friendships that Feed the Soul
“Two are better than one… if one falls down, his friend can help him up” Ecclesiastes 4:9
We are created for Community.
Several years ago, a woman committed suicide by jumping from her high-rise apartment in New York. She left a note saying she could not live any longer without family or friends. Her tragic decision was the result of devastating loneliness.
Even more tragic was the comment of her neighbor in the adjoining apartment. “I didn’t know she was so lonely. So am I. I wish we had become friends.”
Recent surveys reveal that 1 in 4 Americans cannot name a friend they could call in a crisis at 2 am. Can you?
This number has quadrupled since 1990.
In a major study on the health benefits of having friends, it was found that friendships:
Several years ago, a woman committed suicide by jumping from her high-rise apartment in New York. She left a note saying she could not live any longer without family or friends. Her tragic decision was the result of devastating loneliness.
Even more tragic was the comment of her neighbor in the adjoining apartment. “I didn’t know she was so lonely. So am I. I wish we had become friends.”
Recent surveys reveal that 1 in 4 Americans cannot name a friend they could call in a crisis at 2 am. Can you?
This number has quadrupled since 1990.
In a major study on the health benefits of having friends, it was found that friendships:
- Reduce your risk of illness by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol
- Help you live longer. (Women in the study who have the most friends cut their risk of death by more than 60%)
- Help you live better. You are less likely to develop physical impairments as you age and more likely to have a joyful life
- Help you survive devastating life events. In the face of life’s biggest stressors such as losing your spouse, a child, or a divorce, those who had close friends or confidantes were more likely to survive the experience without new or permanent physical problems or long-term depression.
- How many friends or close family members can I call on in a crisis?
- How many friends or close family members feel free to call on me?
Friendship doesn’t just happen. It often takes intentional action on our part.
Getting together with warm and loving friends, who keep what they hear in confidence, is free therapy. Through encouragement, listening, praying, and sharing wisdom and their perspective, they play a vital role in your well-being.
Are you feeling isolated? Want more friends? Here are a few simple steps:
Love to you, my friends,
Poppy
- Do you want wisdom? Pray for discernment. Watch for who seems wise, open, worth spending time with. Proverbs 13:20
- Need support? Again, pray, observe, and cultivate friends who love and care for you. Proverbs 17:17
- Want spiritual encouragement? Which friends share their experiences of God? Seek those who fear the Lord. Malachi 4:6
Getting together with warm and loving friends, who keep what they hear in confidence, is free therapy. Through encouragement, listening, praying, and sharing wisdom and their perspective, they play a vital role in your well-being.
Are you feeling isolated? Want more friends? Here are a few simple steps:
- Get involved.
Break out of your safe routine and determine to try something new. Join a group. Introduce yourself. Go to an event. Invite someone for coffee after. It can feel awkward—but staying at home won’t build relationships. - Don’t assume the worst.
It’s easy to think, “No one wants to be with me.” But you don’t know that. Remember, other people might feel just as lonely. - Pray and take small steps.
Ask God for direction, then show up and be willing to connect, offer to serve, and watch what happens!
Love to you, my friends,
Poppy