Squad GoalsExemplo

Getting to cheer for other people can be really difficult when you’ve never had anyone cheer for you. But I made a decision a long time ago: I’m going to be my friends' biggest fan.

Here’s why: my friends already have enough people telling them why their ideas are crazy, why they’ll never work, why they should just give up. The world is full of critics. So I’ve decided ahead of time that when someone shares something exciting or personal with me, my default response is going to be one of support.

Let’s say a friend shares a dream with me, and honestly, my first reaction is negative. Sure, I could share my doubts, and maybe—just maybe—those thoughts might be helpful. But in most cases, they’ll be hurtful. And here’s the truth about those negative thoughts: they’re almost always based on what I can see with my natural eye. But God calls us to see differently.

Here’s the third squad goal: Believe the best in people.

More than being known as a good friend, my hope and prayer is to be known as a faith friend. When someone has a big dream, I want them to call me. When someone gets a bad doctor’s report, I want them to call me. When someone feels like they’ve hit a wall and they need just a little more faith to keep going, I pray they think of me as the friend who will believe the best in them.

We walk by faith, not by sight. When someone shares something personal and vulnerable with you, you have a choice. You can respond by faith, or you can respond by sight. Responding by sight says, “This doesn’t look realistic.” Responding by faith says, “I believe God is in this, even if I can’t see it yet.”

Your prayer today should be that God would allow you to see your friends—and their situations—through His eyes, and then respond appropriately. Who’s someone in your world right now who could use your faith? Who could you encourage and remind that their dream, their struggle, or their situation isn’t impossible for God?

Be the kind of friend who cheers loudly, believes boldly, and responds with faith. Because when you believe the best in others, you help them believe the best in themselves. And that might just be the encouragement they need to take the next step.