Practical Friendships

Practical Friendships

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Maybe it’s because I’m a parent and know how much work it is to put dinner on the table every night, or maybe it’s because I don’t actually love cooking, but I adore practical friends. You know what I mean—the friends who hear that you’re sick or struggling in some way, and immediately offer to drop off a meal for your family or run an errand for you? Those kinds of friends.

I always appreciate it when people offer their thoughts and prayers or tell me to let them know if I need anything, but the practical friends who skip the asking and move straight to the doing are the ones to whom I’m eternally grateful.

Recently, my husband ruptured his Achilles and had to have surgery to repair it. A friend messaged me to say that she would be praying for us and then followed up her prayer with action. “What’s a good day for me to drop off a meal this week?” she asked. Although I have a hard time asking for help, I felt so grateful. Being tasked with all the errands, housework, and child-rearing—in addition to a couple of looming work deadlines—had left me feeling stressed out and at my wits’ end. My friend’s practical action helped ease the pressure and let me know that I wasn’t alone.

Scripture reminds us to be ready and willing to jump in and help a friend. Those words aren’t a suggestion; they are a command. As Christians, we are meant to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. Helping those in need—be they strangers or friends—is ultimately a reflection of the love and care Jesus showed to us. May we always choose to be people who don’t just hear the word—or halfheartedly offer to help—but find actual, tangible ways to reach those in need.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Do something tangible (make a meal, drop off coffee, or run an errand) for a friend who is struggling.