I was sent this devotional from a friend and I think it is so noteworthy to really read it and consider.

It is from "Proverbs 31 Ministry" Devotional.

In our church our Pastor has been speaking on really loving others beyond our first love of our husbands and children.

I am highlighting a couple sentences in this devotion that I believe our Pastor may have spoke also word for word.I believe the Lord is telling us women to pour first into our family continually! But to also begin to find it in ourselves to pour out to others. To those we meet everyday who do not know the Lord, to let the Love of Jesus flow out.

I have been thinking about that mandate we are given to reach the lost. I have also been really realizing tho, that we need to not overlook the blessings of friendships we have been given. I am asking the Lord to help me do this well! It can in a way be sometimes easier to pour out love in the world to those we don't know, verses friendships..because friendships take time, commitment, loyalty and Love. But they are so worth it!

A Recipe for Relationships 10 Nov 2010 Micca Monda Campbell "Because he loved him as he loved himself." 1 Samuel 20:17b (NIV) So many people today are looking for meaningful relationships, yet so few actually find them. My mother use to tell me to count myself lucky if I had just one "close friend." That's because close life-long relationships are hard to come by. Since we are becoming an increasingly private society, it seems that fewer people than ever actually have life-long intimate friends. Still, the desire for this kind of relationship is not only sought after, but necessary. Women are naturally drawn to other women. In fact, a girl's first experience with heartache may have been over a lost "best friend" rather than a "boyfriend." Women value friendships. When they are lost, we grieve; not just over the friendship itself, but also for the secrets shared, the trust given and the acceptance enjoyed. If betrayed, the pain runs deep causing us to wonder if intimate friendships are really possible. When I think of a biblical example of real friendship, the story of David and Jonathan, found in 1 Samuel 19, always comes to mind. Jonathan, son of King Saul, was David's closest friend. The King despised David because he was growing in popularity and because God had anointed David to be king. These facts enraged King Saul, and he commanded his aids and Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan loved David; therefore he would not betray David. Love isn't the only fruit of true friendship. A real relationship consists of sacrifice too. We discover in this story that Jonathan stripped himself of the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, his sword, his bow, and his belt. Jonathan was the potential heir to his father's thron e, but we see him sacrificing his future for David as he literally gives David his place as king. You and I learn from this action that true friendship means a willingness to sacrifice for each other in love. It's the ability to put another's needs, desires, and wishes above those of our own. Loyalty is also a mark of true friendship. We're told that Jonathan went to his father and spoke well of David. Jonathan also stood up to his dad and said, "Dad, you're wrong about David. He hasn't done anything against you, in fact, everything he's done has helped you." A true friend is a loyal defense before others; one who won't talk about you when you're not around. True friends stick up for each other and are ready to defend when others attack. Finally, intimate friends give each other complete freedom to be themselves. In an intimate friendship, you don't have to explain why you do what you do. You're just free to do it. When Jonathan gave David the sign that t hings were not okay in the palace and that his dad was going to kill David, the two were forced to say goodbye. The text tells us they wept together. When your heart is broken, you can bleed all over a friend like this and she'll understand. She won't try to comfort you in your misery or tell you to straighten up. Intimate friends let each other hurt and they weep together. If your friend needs to complain, you will listen. Intimate friends don't bale, they stay. They allow you to be yourself no matter what 'self' looks like. If you're looking for a Godly recipe for relationships, look no further. Mix together love, sacrifice, loyalty, and freedom and you can create an intimate friendship that lasts a lifetime. Dear Lord, help me to be a friend like Jonathan. Then, bless me with the same. In Jesus' Name, Amen.