True Encouragement

True Encouragement

The friends who matter will be your personal visionaries.

When others see what’s on the surface, true friends see you inside and out. When others pass you by on their way to their own agenda, those friends notice you and affirm your existence. When others doubt you’ll amount to anything, your friends will see what you can be and will be your coach, cheerleader, or teammate.

They’ll challenge you and allow you to challenge them. Remember, you’re on this journey together, so your friends understand what’s at stake. They will spur you on, encourage you, and push you. What would feel like judgment from others, feels like love from them.

They not only see in you what others can’t; they often see what you’re unable to see. If you trust the friend who points out what you can’t see, you might try believing him or her, even if you don’t like what they see.

Your best friends will encourage you—but remember that true encouragement will stretch you as much as it comforts.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. —Proverbs 27:6