A Catalyst Toward New Friendships

A Catalyst toward New Friendships

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

They seemed like the perfect friends. They were about our own age, with kids near our kids’ ages, attended the same church, and had many of the same interests and hobbies. Their home was even relatively close to ours.

“I want them to be our friends,” my husband told me, and we agreed to intentionally reach out to them to foster a friendship.

But despite all the things we had in common—all the reasons they could have become our friends—it never happened. For one reason or another, they were always too busy, their schedule too full. Despite invitations on numerous occasions, they always regretfully declined. It didn’t seem like a polite brush-off—we had nice conversations at church and at mutual events—but frankly, they already had enough friends. Though they were always kind, their circle was firmly closed to us.

Still, no one likes feeling rejected, and it would have been easy to take up an offense at their apparent disinterest in becoming our friends. We could have questioned their character or their life choices. We could have felt bitterness or envy, wondering why they thought their already-established friends were “better than us”—when, really, it had nothing to do with us at all.

It’s a normal, human gut reaction to feel a twinge of hurt when we think we may have been snubbed. But as Christians, let’s dust ourselves off and transform the situation into an opportunity to take stock of our current friendships. Let’s use it as an opportunity to look around and be grateful for the friends we do have, while also reminding ourselves to keep our own circle open to those who may feel overlooked or ignored.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Jot down a list of three people who are acquaintances or casual friends that you think may feel overlooked. Choose one and invite them to a meal or activity within the next week.