“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
Today’s Christian daily devotional
Olivia peered down the row of taught bodies in her latest yoga class. Holding her pose, she tilted her chin higher. Nothing felt better than the looks of envy she ensued. It made no difference that her body was bought and paid for—the most important thing was that it set her apart from the crowd; it gave her every good reason to feel superior.
The crowded class finished and began it’s weekly tradition of braking off into smaller groups. Most of the suburban housewives rewarded themselves with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine at the bistro just up the street.
As the jovial chatter started to stir, Olivia sprayed down her mat and rolled it solitude; just as she had done every Wednesday night since the class started.
Trying her best to look preoccupied, she dug deeply into her workout bag with nettlesome interest. Rustling to find the keys to her Lexus, she clasped the cellphone to her ear, pretending to check her messages.
This ruse was all in the hopes that no one would notice Olivia was once again–excluded. But, just as the ice queen expected and feared, nobody seemed to take much notice.
Feigning disinterest, she glided past the tiny converging groups, her nose hanging slightly aloof in the air.
Upon opening the studio door, the brisk night air prickled her post-workout dew. It felt good to get out of that pressure cooker. Even though no one seemed to pay attention, Olivia felt the minute she left all tongues would be wagging behind her back.
Climbing into her SUV, she quickly slams the door behind her, creating an airtight capsule. It became so deafeningly quiet that she could actually hear her own thoughts as clearly as if someone else were speaking to her.
“You’ll never fit in. So, why bother?” The tone of her thoughts was condescending and predictable.
She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror. An impeccable blonde with hair coiffed to the nines, diamond studs framing her flawless cheekbones and a smile that could stop the most committed man dead in his tracts was looking back at her.
But, Olivia could only see a younger version of her mother. Just like her mom, Olivia’s perfect smile lacked the zest of a good life. There wasn’t any true joy that could actually back it up.
No matter how hard she worked to pummel out every shred of evidence that she was her mother’s daughter; it seemed Olivia’s destiny was inescapable. Her mother, Harriet suffered from an exhausting degree of neediness, loneliness and depression. Despite the fact that their relationship was estranged for years, those ugly family legacies were a common bond that forever seemed to link the two of them.
Proverbs 18:24 shares a simple anecdote for loneliness: friendliness. Sadly, sometimes the easiest solutions pose the most difficulty. Especially if one has developed a lifetime of bad mindsets, habits and behavior!
The good news is, when one asks Jesus Christ into their heart, the power of God is now taking up residence inside of them. But, just because one has the limitless power of God on the inside, doesn’t guarantee that they will actually tap into that resource. Are you ready for a real change? Well, tap into it.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the power to change. Thank you that the word of God is like a mirror. It reflects to me the areas where I am weak and also empowers me with the wisdom I need to strengthen those weak areas.
Lord, forgive me of my insecurity. I give that sin to you, as you wash me clean from it, help me to feel as free as I really am.
Open my eyes to see the people I may have shut out of my life because of my behavior. Give me an opportunity to show myself friendly and help me make the right choice this time around.
Bless me to be a blessing to others and as I take my mind off of myself, take care of all my friendship needs.
I would like quality friends, because I want to be a quality person. I know that good friends will bring out the best in me.
Regardless of how people treat me, help me to always treat others with the kind of respect I would like to be given. In Jesus’ precious name, because there are many people that could use a good friend, Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Proverbs 18:24
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan