We all have those friends; the ones that completely drain you. I recently heard somebody say they are ‘suckers’; they suck the energy out of you. I have had one of those in these last couple of years that I feel like I am always trying to encourage and strengthen her. She comes to me when she needs me, then I don’t hear from her in months….until she needs me again.

Well, I finally got to the point that I had to be extremely tough with her. I told her that she constantly comes to me for advice and I freely give it to her. She is a great girl and has a mighty call of God on her life. I finally realized that every time she comes to me, she must fully expect me to tell her what she wants to hear and not what she needs to hear. That is why she disappears when I give her some encouragement and advice; she didn’t like what I had to say and wanted to continue on with what she was doing, no matter how detrimental it may be to her or whomever she is with. I had to be tough with her and ask her what she thought it feels like to me when she comes to me for advice, then turns on her heel and runs the other way when I give it.

I will always be here for her; every time she comes back and continue to pray for her. I was sitting in my chair one day pondering this after one of our phone calls. I realized that every question I asked her about how she thinks it makes me feel when she keeps coming to me, and I watch her turn around and continue her poor decisions, is probably how God feels when I do the same thing. How many times have I come to God asking His advice, or making a request? How many times have I walked away refusing to change when He gives me the answers I need to hear and not always what I want to hear?

Those questions pretty much stopped me in my tracks. I had to repent for my behavior and truly be honest with myself about my own behavior and my own shortfalls. I am so grateful that God is a good, forgiving, loving and merciful God. He has never given up on me no matter how many times I imagine Him throwing His hands in the air with my poor behavior. That is the Christ-like love I want to show people. That is the love I want to show this friend of mine. It is too easy to think that perhaps even God wants us to walk away from some people because they only cause trouble and wreak havoc on our life. That isn’t who God is! His love is so great that when one of His sheep gets lost, we are to leave the herd and go find that lost sheep. My friend is only a lost sheep and if I need to keep searching for her, I have to do that. I can’t give up on her. God loves her and I love her. God will always give us the strength when we are doing what He wants us to do. His love is amazing!