176: Becoming the Friend You Want to Be (Solo Episode 34) with Rebekah Hargraves (Friendship Matters Series #9)

A few months ago, we kicked off a brand new solo podcast series based on a book I co-authored with my dear friend, Amber Durgan, entitled “Friendship Matters: Cultivating Meaningful Connections in an Isolated World”. Today we are focusing on chapter 9, the last chapter official chapter of the book and one that is all about becoming the friend you want to be.

What I Chat about in Today’s Episode:

~The importance of becoming the kind of friend we want to be (and the kind of friend we want to have!)

~Steps to take towards becoming that kind of friend:

*Make a list.

*Make an assessment.

*Gather and put to good use any needed resources

~How to have the fruits of the Spirit cultivated in our lives

~The importance of thinking about what kind of friends we want to have and how to find such friends

~Truths to remember going forward:

*God is our Provider – He will provide the friends.

*God is our closest friend.

*God is our greatest advisor.

*God is our fiercest protector.

*God is our hope and help.

~And more!

Resources Mentioned

Offer for a free audiobook and 30 day trial membership from Audible: www.audibletrial.com/HomeandHearth

Previous Solo Podcast Episodes

Friendship Matters: Cultivating Meaningful Connections in an Isolated World by Amber Durgan and Rebekah Hargraves

Previous “Friendship Matters” Episodes

Amber’s Friendship Matters Podcast Series

QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

“Proverbs 18:24 tells us that to have friends, we must show ourselves to be friendly. This means that in order to have the kind of good, godly, solid friendships we so desire, we need to first look in the mirror and assess what kind of friend we are currently. We can have all the desire in the world for friendship, all the best laid plans for how to pursue and initiate and cultivate community, but if we are not first diligent about partnering with the Holy Spirit in our sanctification process to make us into the best friend we can be, then it will all be for nought once people really get to know us.”

“Before we start thinking we need a ten-step program to being a good friend or that we just need to hustle and strive and force our way to good character in friendship, we first need to understand how it is that the desired fruit of the Spirit is produced in our lives – and it isn’t through striving!”

“If we want to be the best friends we can be rather than people who do whatever our sinful flesh desires, then the key is to walk by the Spirit.”

“As we saw at the beginning of our time together in this book, He specifically and intentionally designed us to need and thrive in community. Because of this, you can be guaranteed that He wants friendship for you even more than you want it for yourself! It may take time, it will require you to initiate and pursue friendship, you will need to be in prayer, and it may require perseverance, but God will provide you with the community you need to come alongside you in your faith journey and walk with Him. Rest in that truth even when the journey is hard and friends feel so far away. Repeat after me: He will provide!”

“Not every friend you have throughout the course of your life will have your best interests at heart. Not everyone is trustworthy or meant to be a lifelong friend. But do not allow this reality of a fallen world to scare you into never pursuing friendship at all. It’s still always worth the risk, and you always have your God as your protector by your side.”

“Initiating friendship can sometimes feel scary and going deeper with a new friend can feel challenging. Remember that you are not on your own, left to fend for yourself. God is your hope and help, always ready to step in and bring you aid when you ask Him.”

“He longs for you to experience the joys of friendship, so you can bet that He will sustain you with hope and help you when hard times hit. He is with you, He goes before you, He is behind you, and He is surrounding you with His presence and His sustaining power. Turn to Him, rely on Him, and He will strengthen you.”

WHERE YOU CAN FIND REBEKAH ONLINE:

Websites – Hargraves Home and Hearth

Instagram –@rebekahhargraves

Facebook – Hargraves Home and Hearth

Twitter – @hhomeandhearth

Podcast – Home and Hearth Podcast

To Leave a Rating and Review on iTunes Have you been encouraged or inspired by today’s episode? If so, could I ask a little favor? If you could leave the podcast a rating and review in iTunes, that would be amazing! The more ratings and reviews a podcast receives, the more iTunes shows that podcast to other folks searching for shows to listen to, so by leaving me a rating and review, you truly are partnering with me in this podcast ministry to encourage and help as many women as we possibly can. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that! Here’s how: If you’re on your computer:

Access iTunes on your desktop and type Home and Hearth in the search box on the upper right hand corner.
Click on the podcast photo when it comes up
Click on “Ratings and Reviews” beneath the podcast title
Under “Customer Reviews”, click on “Write a Review”
Click on how many stars you want to rate the podcast and then write out your review and click submit
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If you’re on your phone:

Open the podcasts app
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Scroll down a bit, if needed, until you see “Write a Review” and click on that
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