Be The Friend You Want by Abby Watkins

26 Feb Be The Friend You Want by Abby Watkins

Did you ever feel like you don’t have the friendships you used to have? Whether you have transitioned to a different season of life or moved to a new place, the feeling is very common.

I have absolutely been walking through that season since my family moved to Acworth, GA back in 2016. Knowing my extroverted-introvert self, I was determined to make some friends quickly! But God taught me an invaluable lesson through my (longer than planned) search for new friends.

I’ll cut right to the chase: Each of us needs to BE the friend that we want.

We all tend to be self-focused (the flaw of mankind!) Most of us wait for someone to befriend us. But when we choose to be outward focused, we allow God to meet our needs.

I’ve noticed some great truth from Jesus that we can apply to develop friendships:

• In Matthew 4, Jesus invites Peter, Andrew, James, and John to come along with him. Jesus is an inviter!

• In Luke 6:31, Jesus tells us to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” We usually see this verse in the context of being generally nice and kind to everyone – but we can apply that to friendships that we already have or desire.

If you become the initiator of building relationships AND you love and care for your friends the way you want to be loved and cared for, can you imagine the types of friendships you would be building??!!

What I am suggesting can seem daunting. You may feel terrified that someone might not want to be your friend. But that is the fear of not being chosen or wanted that tries to keep you isolated. We all have a deeper truth we can cling to help us be brave and reach out to a new friend:

• Ephesians 1:4 says, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”

Listen up…You are already chosen. You don’t have to feel insecure or feel the need for a friend to choose you back because the only one who matters already chooses you!

I am totally preaching to the choir on this one. I still have my funky days where I just want a friend to reach out to me. But I always manage to remember who I am in Christ. Once I kick fear to the curb, I immediately reach out to someone to meet up for coffee or something. I get to be a blessing to someone else and it instantly becomes a blessing back to me.

Please borrow some courage and reach out to someone today! If you don’t know who to start, there are so many ways to meet others. There are online communities and Facebook groups where you can connect to people (GWG being one of them!) My favorite place to start is getting plugged into a local church – small groups are the best. Finding a hobby can also build connections. I started my business with LimeLight By Alcone to get me out of my comfort zone and to meet some new faces. I have been blessed with friends all over the country and nearby because of that little leap! God wants you to have meaningful iron-sharpens-iron friendships, and I hope you will be inspired to find them!

  Abby Watkins

Abby is a wife and stay-at-home mom of two kids (Noelle 5, Louie 2). She loves healthy eating, all things beauty, learning about developing relationships, and is always learning to cultivate joy in her life and in the lives of others. When she isn’t busy caring for her little ones you will usually find her baking homemade bread (from freshly milled flour) or helping women feel beautiful and confident through her role as a Lead Beauty Guide for LimeLight by Alcone.

How to Connect with me

www.instagram.com/abbyswatkins

www.facebook.com/abbymurraywatkins

www.limelightbyalcone.com/abbywatkins