Seeking God’s Wisdom

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

When Steph was in middle school, the way she thought and felt about herself grew increasingly dark. Most people experience mood swings and go through rough patches, but when Steph’s negative thoughts about herself continued to get worse, her best friends worried about her.

They urged her to talk to two mentors who hosted a weekly small group, but Steph had no desire to talk about what she was feeling. In fact, she threatened to stop being friends with them if they went against her wishes by approaching the mentors.

Eventually, though, her friends chose to do what they believed was right. Despite Steph’s protests, her friends sat down with the mentors and explained what was going on. Hearing the details of how Steph had been feeling and how she’d been talking, the mentors stepped in. With their help, Steph began moving beyond the dark place she’d found herself in. As time went on and her thoughts became more positive, she was incredibly grateful her friends intervened.

Friends need to do what is right—even if it’s hard. Steph’s friends were worried about losing her friendship but decided her overall health and well-being were more important.

It can be difficult to know when we should stay quiet about a friend’s problem or when we need to speak up about it. In the book of James, we’re reminded that if we need wisdom, we can always approach God first. Though we probably will never hear him speak aloud, his Word can act as our guide, and his love and comfort are always near. When we aren’t sure what to do, we can always ask for help—from God and from adults we trust. Though Steph was initially mad at her friends for bringing her truth to light, in the end, she was grateful.

Things to Think About

• Have you ever been in a situation where a friend threatened to cut off your relationship if you did something they didn’t like? How did you respond?
• Brainstorm a list of situations where doing the right thing is more important than fearing that you may lose a friendship.

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Ask a trusted adult to help you come up with a list of signs or symptoms that can help you identify if a friend is struggling with depression, as well as an action plan for how to approach the situation if you think a friend needs help.