Day 13 | Deborah and Joy’s story: Encouraged by Community

Reflection

Over the past few days, we’ve been thinking about how we can draw confidence from one another. Here’s how it looked for Deborah and Joy. They met through church and were part of the same small group, but they had quite different frontlines – places where they regularly spent time, building relationships with non-Christians.

Deborah’s primary frontline was her local gym. It was a nice gym – not one of those places people go to build their egos in tandem with their muscles. But still, it was a place where she wanted to be confident – confident to strike up conversations with others, confident to go beyond the surface, confident in blessing the staff and her fellow fitness fanatics.

Joy’s main frontline was quite different: a rather gossipy health clinic. Here, Joy needed confidence not to get drawn into the all-too-frequent backbiting, and confidence to help wounded and warring colleagues take steps toward healing and peace.

As well as catching up before or after services, and as well as studying the Bible, sharing, and praying together in their small group, Deborah and Joy would WhatsApp each other at different points in the day. They’d share verses of encouragement, update each other on how situations were going, request prayer, share prayers, and generally help each other keep going. By the grace of God, it was a friendship that grew their confidence for their frontlines.

By the grace of God, day by day, Deborah made a difference at the gym. And by the grace of God, Joy made a difference in the clinic. Who might be your Deborah? And to whom might you be a Joy?

Responding in prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of others.

Thank you that they are a gift to me and thank you that I am a gift to them. Help me to be humble enough to recognise my need for others. Help me to love others enough to give myself to them. As we follow You together, grow our confidence, we pray.