What does having a circle of people have to do with you? Having a circle gives you someone to depend on, like a tight-knit bunch of family and loves ones. Your circle is for more than just encouragement or support. They can bring clarity when you are stuck on a decision, and they tell you the truth even if you don't want to hear it.
Do you have people in your life who will love you enough to speak truth into you? Or hold you accountable? Or challenge you to do the right thing? Or do those around you simply tell you whatever you want to hear or influence you to do things that might be convenient but are questionable from an ethical or moral position? I know for a fact that I have those people in my life. My parents and a couple of friends have always been there for me. When I am doing something they know isn't right or not me, they are not afraid to sit me down and tell me about it and talk through things. I know being that type of person for other people is something that I would love to get better at. It's so hard to tell one of your best friends that you don't agree with the decisions they're making or to tell them what you think is best for them. It's so easy to get in a trap of just telling them what they want to hear. When you do that, you're not necessarily being a bad friend but you're not being an honest and truth bearing friend who wants the very best for that person. Sometimes you have to go through awkward situations to strengthen and maximize relationships.
I know for me, I reach out to my circle through phone calls and have asked me closet friends to sit down and talk to me about some things that I am going through. And sometimes, in hearing so many different opinions, perspectives, and thoughts, I end the phone calls or conversations with more information than I started out with. When I'm armed with different points of view, at times it's even harder to make a decision. But I know I am wiser for it. And when it comes down to it, that is what is most important.
Proverbs 13:20: "He who walks with the wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."
Who's in your circle of trust? (Side note: When I hear "circle of trust," I think of the movie, Meet the Parents.) It doesn't have to be a big a big group of people. It works if you just have two or three people that you can trust, count on to pray for you, wrestle with you on big decisions, and offer wise advice. These are the people who are going to tell you the truth, what you need to hear, rather than what you want to hear. That is why the people in your circle are so valuable and you need to keep them around, it's such a rarity to find people who tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want.
Sometimes you need someone to remind you to dig deep with God, to keep up the faith, to stay in the fight. It's a battle every day. It's easy to become complacent because life gets in the way. Think about what is going on right now, nearly everyone is finishing their last week of classes, so any time that we have is being used on homework, finishing up assignments, projects, and papers. When tough times come or we get stuck in the routine of the dailies, we can forget what matters. So when you get caught up in the business during this time of year, don't forget what matters and that is digging deep with God. Take some time to pray, read a devotional or even get in the word. It can be pretty easy to stop growing spiritually, to stop talking to God, and stop learning about the faith walk. Don't get frustrated or overly stressed, rather be thankful for this time of year. It's the greatest time of year and life is to short to worry about the stress with school when a relationship with God is so much important
than anything else? That is one of the reasons I have a reminder set on my phone every night to ask a handful of people what they learned throughout the day. Life is too short to not reflect on what God teaches you on a daily basis.
This is what it means to be surrounded by people you trust and who have your back. Now, keep in mind, I'm not telling you to befriend a group of holy rollers who pride themselves for always wearing a tie and going to Bible study five days a week-and judge you for not doing so. What matters is being surrounded by people who speak truth into you, who support you when you feel weak, and who encourage you when you feel like you just can't do it anymore. Having people like this in your life helps you live at your best. It helps you strive to be better than average, more than ordinary, far above normal.
I encourage you to take a close look to see who is in your circle and if they are speaking the truth to you. I also encourage you to strive to be that type of friend for your friends as well. Your circle has a huge impact on your life and the decisions you make and will help you live at your best. Embrace it.
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