GLEANINGS from Claudia: The Abiding Life – Friend of God

At next year’s PCA Women’s Leadership Conference, I will have the joy of co-teaching a workshop with (the brilliant and wonderful!) Ellen Dykas of Harvest USA. Interestingly, we will not be teaching on biblical peacemaking (me) or bringing the power of Christ to people broken by sexual sin (Ellen). Instead, we will be talking about intentional friendship, especially for women in leadership/public ministry positions. This is our working description:

Seeking (and Giving!) Intentional Feedback: Many Scriptures call us to seek out and listen to wise counsel, but few of us actually do this on a regular basis. It is hard to confront (and be confronted). No one enjoys having their weaknesses pointed out, even by a loyal and charitable friend. But the intentional, prayerful giving of feedback can be a powerful tool to help us grow in our ministry effectiveness. In this workshop, Ellen Dykas and Tara Barthel will share how God is using them in each other’s lives to sharpen one another as speakers, authors, lay counselors, and women’s ministry leaders. Specific, practical helps will be shared on a variety of topics including: mission statements, use of technology/social media, delineations between public and private life, and preparing new content (both written and spoken). If you have ever been lonely in ministry and longed for a faithful friend to help spur you on toward love and good deeds, then this is the workshop for you. You don’t need a long relational history in order to come alongside one another and help each other to grow—but you do need a plan. Otherwise, the urgency of life and ministry will keep you from ever dedicating prayer, time, and focus on the importance of intentionally seeking and receiving counsel to help you to grow.

Recently, Ellen and I expanded one aspect of our intentional friendship by reaching out to some women that I respect and love dearly and inviting them to partner together as friends and helpers to one another. Our fellowship has already been sweet and redemptive And one thing I’ve asked them to think about doing is sharing a blog post (or two or three) with you!

To kick us off, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Claudia Lee. You can read all about her on her blog. But I would like to share her with you through this blog post she has so generously allowed me to re-post. I hope you enjoy it!

(And if you are a woman who is lonely in ministry, I hope that you will consider how you might prayerfully and intentionally work to create your own “friend/prayer/intentional friendship” group. Life is hard! And it is never good to feel alone.)

Sending you my love on this beautiful (but crazy-busy!!) Monday. (Are you fighting tooth and nail like I am to reach for JOY and not drown under the weight of your to-do list? Oh my.)

Your friend,
Tara B.

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GLEANINGS from Claudia  — The Abiding Life: Friend of God

“The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” Exodus 33:11

 For whatever reason, of late I’ve been exploring the concept of God as friend. I know the concept is Biblically sound. Exodus tells us God spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. In the New Testament book of James we see Abraham called God’s friend. Jesus tells His disciples in John 15 that He no longer calls them servants, but friends making known to them everything He learned from the Father.

The idea of God as friend has been a cipher for me. Do I really want God to be my friend? When I think of a ‘friend’ what does that mean to me? Am I a good friend? And why in the world would God (or anyone for that matter) want to be friends with me?

I feel like a toddler soaking up the things I’m beginning to understand about friendship. In this season of life God has given me the blessing of a few close friends who are mighty women in ministry. These women are not perfect and I’m thankful for that. They are beautiful, weak, still growing and struggling women who are letting God use them in powerful ways to bring healing into other women’s lives. We have this sweet thing going on where we know each other’s stories and know the power of God at work changing each of us. Because of this transparency when we are tempted, or fall into despondency, or are stepping into a battle, or feel inadequate in those front-line places God deploys us we can call out to each other for prayer (usually via text or email) and know that prayers are immediately lifted. This is Kingdom friendship … a gift from God, a partnering in God’s work to free each of us and transform us into all that He has created us to be for His glory, His plans, and His purpose.

As I’ve enjoyed these deepening friendships, I think I’ve caught the scent of what friendship with God is all about. I find myself doing with God the same thing I do with my friends. Instead of stewing about the struggles and challenges before me I pray! I ask God for help and direction and what’s the next step and how can I best partner with You in Kingdom work today? I watch for the answers as we go through the day together. Sometimes He speaks through His Word, sometimes through a thought or picture, sometimes through an event or comment from a friend or stranger, and sometimes through a clear nudge toward a certain person or situation. I sense God’s pleasure when I obey and His nudge when I’m uncertain or afraid. I sense His delight when I take joy in the gifts He has given. I even felt Him gently laugh at my vanity one day … a sweet amusement that set me free from the need to look or act a certain way. There is purpose, joy, growth and intimacy in this best of all friendships.

In a few days I’ll be sixty years old. I surrendered my life to the Lord when I was seventeen and I’ve known of Him since my youngest days. But there is so much more to know and I feel like I’m just beginning to grasp how to hear His voice, how to know He is speaking to me, how to be in a face-to-face conversation with this amazing God who calls me His friend!

“Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to
my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 8:32-25

HT: GLEANINGS FROM CLAUDIA (“Grief Blog” and “The Abiding Life Blog”)