I don't know what resolutions you have for this new year but one I'd like to challenge myself and others on is being intentional in our close friendships. While the old trite adage, "You need to be a friend, to make a friend" is true, nothing much is said about nurturing and cultivating our present friendships. So what does being "intentional" in a friendship look like?
I think it's about being more proactive in our time spent together and what's talked about. I think our friendships should always have laughs, inside jokes....etc, but many friendships are deficient in the area of depth of conversation and challenging one another to grow spiritually, in our relationships and achieving personal goals. If our closest friendships don't have depth then what is their value?
Friendships also take time. Setting time aside time in your schedule monthly for meaningful friendship opportunities is a must for them to be cultivated. For me I have to stop saying, "Hey, let's get together some time" and start saying, "Let's figure out right now when we can get together" and put it on the calendar. For me if it's on my calendar it's going to happen (Lord willing).
Some might say that all of this should just happen organically, but if we are still wondering why we don't have really meaningful depth in our friendships, maybe there is something that we should be doing to nurture them?
Go Grow Together,
Nathan
