Lean on Me

Lean on Me

When you're not strong

And I'll be your friend

I'll help you carry on

For it won't be long

Till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride

If I have things you need to borrow

For no one can fill

Those of your needs that you won't let show

“Lean on Me” by Bill Withers

There’s something so beautiful about the nearness of a friend to lean on. Yes, you can study hope, wait on the Lord, observe if the meditations of your heart are set on him, and even sing your way into the truth, but these aren’t the only tools to revive your joy. The empathy that goes hand-in-hand with a vulnerable friendship is something that can bring deep healing and a hopeful perspective.

The friendship between David and Jonathan is something to be admired. They had each other's back, and Jonathan found himself disobeying the orders of his father, King Saul, to protect David. He was willing to put everything on the line, perhaps even his life, for the sake of his best friend. David could lean on him.

It’s the nearness of friendship that led Jesus, after three years of ministry, to share with his disciples all that the Father had shared with him. He no longer called them servants, but friends. John the Beloved knew this nearness, and even had the comfortability to lean on Jesus at the last supper. The friendship was so real and intimate. The secrets of God could now be entrusted to them, and those secrets of Heaven are a pearl of great price.

Jesus Himself exhorted us not to throw our pearls before swine; as in, you don’t need to share the most intimate details of your heart with everyone who comes along. There’s no sense in unraveling your valuable inner thought life with an unempathetic or ingenuine party. But, you shouldn’t let that hold you back from seeking at least one safe individual, whether a non judgemental friend or even a therapist you just met, to lend a listening ear. You don’t have to go through your struggles alone, but can lean on trusted people and professionals that can support you in the process of healing. The time has come to not just lean in, but lean on.

Reflection

Think back on a time in your life when a dear friendship helped you to get through a difficult season. Is there someone in your life today who you feel you can be vulnerable with, and what is it about them that allows you to open up? Take some time to journal and reflect on the relationships that bring you the most strength and reach out today to say thank you.