Friendship is both messy and beautiful. A Necessary Interview with Andi Andrew
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Last week, we discussed the opportunity to heal from church hurt. However, today, I want us to consider what our pastors and leaders are navigating the same. Research shows that:
- 70% of pastors have experienced loneliness and have no close friends whom they can trust with personal matters.
- 70% of pastors have a lower self-image now than when they first joined the ministry.
Those statistics are heartbreaking, and as we talk about the confidence to engage in spiritual warfare, We must recognize that if there is anyone who is encountering spiritual warfare in this season? It is our pastors.
Spiritual warfare is the opposition that we encounter from the enemy that attacks our intimacy and authority in the Lord, and we can see right there from those statistics that our pastors are being attacked, not only in their intimacy with the Lord, as they question their self-worth, but their intimacy with others, as they fail to find those who will truly embody friendship for them.
Let’s begin to pray to the Lord and ask Him to move on their behalf as they continue to show up for us. And then, as He does that, he would send them friends.
We all need friends. And friendship can get really messy, as we’re going to talk about today.
So that the Lord can open our eyes to those and we can be a friend to.
Today, we’re reflecting on Proverbs 27:5-6 (NIV)
Proverbs 27:5-6 reads, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
As you will hear, we’re going to talk about betrayal today, and I do want you to know that betrayal is synonymous with disloyalty and treachery.
However, open rebuke is different. It is not to be confused with betrayal. It comes from the Hebrew word: tôḵēḥâ, which simply means correction. May we all find friends who will correct us in love and help us to grow more confident in Christ every single day.
I asked Andi:
- What is the woman wound and how do we heal from it?
- How do we navigate betrayal in a friendship?
- What do we need to know about the pain pastors encounter in ministry?
- You write, “Wisdom tells us to be selective, but we often fail to do this because we want to be inclusive.” Why is it important to be selective about your friendships?
Books & Recommendations
Purchase Friendship: It’s Complicated
Research I Cited in This Episode
Listen to the Episode with Irene Rollins
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Meet Andi
Andi Andrew is the author of She Is free, Fake or Follower, and Friendship-It’s Complicated. She is a passionate preacher who feels called to see the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ outworked practically and powerfully in our everyday lives. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, and planted at Seacoast Church, Andi’s life is currently focused on raising her four kids, writing, and investing in local churches and lives around the world. You can find more resources at Andi’s website here.
Meet Your Host
There is nothing Liv loves to talk about more than the Word of God. She is a Bible teacher, author, and the podcast host of The Best Kept Secret with Liv Dooley. Liv is passionate about helping creatives become confident and communicate clearly about Christ Jesus. When Liv is not writing, teaching, or podcasting, you can find her hiking a mountain, taking a road trip with her husband, or curled up in the corner with a good book. You can connect with Liv on IG at @candidliv.
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