Building a Circle of Support, Wisdom, and Encouragement

When a teacher asked 15-year-old Daniel Harrison from Nottingham, England if he had any goals, he said he wanted a friend.

Daniel’s parents wondered how well Daniel, who has autism, understood the concept of friendship. He had never expressed a desire before and seemed quite happy. Nevertheless, Daniel’s parents shared his story on social media to ask people to send Daniel a birthday greeting. Their message went viral.

Within hours, they received over 120,000 likes and 50,000 comments, including kind words from celebrities like Russell Crowe and Mark Hamill. Most meaningful of all were the replies they received from parents across the globe who also had children with special needs. Now Daniel has more friends than he could have ever dreamed.

We all need friends. Friendship is one of God’s greatest gifts. Everyone is fighting some kind of unseen battle, which means all of us could use an encouraging word or an arm around our shoulder. A friend cheers us in victory and comforts us in pain, reminding us that we’re not alone.

But strong friendships don’t happen by accident. They require intentionality – being present, being vulnerable, working through conflict, setting healthy boundaries, and loving one another well.

To help you develop healthy and flourishing friendships by becoming a true friend yourself, I’ve invited author Becky Harling to join me on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly.

Wise friendship means:

• Guarding our thoughts and words.

• Generously encouraging others.

• Choosing to love our friends well.

Good friendships not only strengthen us individually, but our marriages, our families, and our walk with Christ. Becky shares practical, biblical ways to become wiser, more intentional friends and thereby experience the rich relationships God designed us to enjoy.

Hear my full conversation with Becky Harling on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

Becky’s book Friend-Wise: Practical Ideas for Richer Relationships is available for a gift of any amount. And when you help Focus on the Family today with a gift, your donation will be DOUBLED for twice the impact in helping others through this ministry. Our thanks to generous donors who’ve made that possible. For more information, click here or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).