Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.
Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join James, a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life's biggest questions and helps us find God's solutions to life's struggles. Learn the power of living by God's grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are on a search for freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!
Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.
Wisdom for Friendships: Setting Boundaries Without Guilt
ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE
Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn the power of living by God’s grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are in search of freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!
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Episode 3, wisdom for Friends. Important areas of our lives marriage, singleness, family, work and, today, friendship. Friendships are one of God's greatest gifts, but they can also be a source of pain if we're not wise in how we choose, cultivate and protect those relationships. Today we're going to talk about wisdom for friendships and boundaries. Let's dive in Now. Think about your closest friends. Are they people that build you up and challenge you to love Christ more deeply, who walk with you through both joy and sorrows, or are they some relationships that leave you feeling drained, manipulated and disrespected? The reality is not all friendships are equal, and scripture makes it clear that the people that we consistently walk with shape our lives in profound ways. Friendship is not a casual thing. In God's eyes it's formational, and walking in wisdom means choosing, investing in and sometimes protecting those relationships carefully. Let's look at a few foundational scripture together. In Proverbs, chapter 13, verse 20, it says whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 24, tells us a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there's a friend who sticks closer than a brother. And Proverbs, chapter 27, verse 6, reminds us faithful are the wounds of a friend profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Now, according to God's word, the quality of our relationships matters far more than the quantity. Wise friendships sharpen, encourage and point us to Christ.
Speaker 1:Wise friendships are rooted in godliness. A true friend is not just someone who makes you laugh or shares your hobby. It's someone who helps you walk with God. Wise friendships speak the truth in love. They celebrate without jealousy. They challenge you when you drift and walk with you through adversity. Ask yourself do my closest friends encourage my spiritual growth? And how about this one? Am I becoming more like Christ because of the people I spend most of my time with Now? The second thing I want you to consider is this Wise friendships are marked by mutual respect. Healthy friendships aren't one-sided. There's mutual listening, mutual encouragement and mutual sacrifice. If a friendship constantly drains you without any reciprocity, or if it fosters gossip, cynicism or compromise, wisdom says it's time to evaluate Proverbs. Chapter 17, verse 17, says A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. True friendships carry one another's burden, not just during the easy seasons, but through the hard ones as well.
Speaker 1:I want you to imagine two friends. One is built on common hobbies, but every conversation drifts towards negativity, criticism and gossip. The other one is built on a shared faith in Christ. Conversations are marked by prayer, encouragement, scripture, laughter and honesty, even when it's hard. Over time, those friendships will bear different kind of fruit. One will leave you feeling weary and stagnant, and the other will strengthen your heart and spur you towards love and good works.
Speaker 1:Friendship is powerful. Wisdom asks what kind of friendships am I cultivating and what kind of friend am I becoming? Burdens are not just about building walls of isolation. They're about creating healthy gates that allow safe, life-giving relationships in and gently protects you from consistent harm. Jesus himself modeled this. He loved everyone, but he didn't give equal access to everyone. He ministered to many, he discipled 12, and he shared his heart most intimately. With.
Speaker 1:Three Boundaries in relationships might look like this Limiting time with those who stir up conflict or discouragement, clarifying emotional expectations with your friends who are consistently demanding, protecting your heart from gossip or negativity without severing kindness. Wisdom means knowing when to lean in and when to create space. Now I want you to take a moment and reflect. Who are the three people I spend the most emotional energy on each week? Are those relationships drawing me closer to Christ or are they pulling me away from Him? Are there boundaries that I need to prayerfully consider setting for the sake of wisdom and peace?
Speaker 1:Walking wisely in relationships doesn't mean we reject people. It means that we love wisely, protect what is sacred and stay faithful to Christ first. Now, this week, here's your challenge Invest intentionally in a relationship that builds up your faith. Send a text schedule a coffee pray for a friend by name. Send a text schedule a coffee pray for a friend by name and the same time I want you to do this Prayerfully evaluate where you might need to set or reset a boundary to guard your heart and preserve peace.
Speaker 1:If today's conversation helped you to think more wisely and deeply about your relationships, I invite you to connect with us at communityjameslongjrorg. That's communityjameslongjrorg. There you'll find more tools, conversations and support for growing in relational wisdom, emotional healing and gospel-centered living. If you'd like to learn more about the different levels of membership and everything that is available, visit jameslongjrorg slash. Sign up now. That's jameslongjrorg slash. Sign up now. We would love to walk with you. Let me close in prayer. Father, thank you for the gift of friendship. Father, thank you for the gift of friendship. Teach us to walk wisely, to love sincerely and to set boundaries humbly and to build relationships that reflect your truth and grace, shape us into friends that sharpen and strengthen one another for your glory. We offer our friendships to you In your son's matchless and holy name. We pray Amen. Well, thank you again for joining me. I look forward to continuing this journey next time as we explore wisdom for difficult people.
