Cultivate Truth

Life throws many loops and it seems that the more I think I've arrived to a state of normalcy, the more loops arrive in LOUD and obvious ways. Perhaps my biggest loop currently is navigating changing relationships and knowing how to cultivate more honest and authentic friendships- despite disappointments or being hurt.


I know I can't be alone when I say that sometimes friendships don't turn out quite like how you expect. Middle and high school are filled with fair shares of drama and even college years are refined by finding the friends that truly bring out the best in you. But what are friendships supposed to look like in your mid-twenies? I've shared before that the vast majority of my closest friends from college are spread out all over the country. This challenge has pushed me (in the best way possible) to continue to invest in new relationships and to build the core of those new friendships on honesty.

The more honest I am about my life, my struggles, my shortcomings and my selfishness, the more honest others tend to be too. Do you feel like this is true for you? Of course the goal isn't to just have a pity party but to cultivate trust and authenticity where you're not just being open, but hopefully challenging each other to be the best version of yourself.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

-Ephesians 4:2

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

-Ephesians 4:15

"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."

-Ephesians 4:25

I could camp out on Ephesians 4 for months and still have so much to learn about honesty in relationships. Verse 2 is a good reminder that's it's not just about speaking the truth, but being patient by listening, and bearing each other's burdens.

I love that God wants us to be real with each other because that's how we grow and mature. It's how we realize we're not the only ones going through a hard chapter of life. It's how we put off pride and stop thinking we can handle things on our own. Within the last month or so God has put two women in my life - one I've known for years and another that just recently became a friend - and it has already felt so refreshing to find women striving for the same authenticity and maturity - to fight to know God deeper and not be afraid to talk about it.

What are you learning in your friendships these days?

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