3. Remember your purpose. Keep in mind your individual purpose as well. It is to serve and love God and to be obedient to Him. He knows your heart. His word promises that He will be our advocate when we are unfairly accused. In fact, Matthew 5:11 says, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
When you heart aches over the loss of relationships, God promises to be near (Read Psalms 34:18, “He is near to the broken hearted and crushed in spirit”). Confess any unrepentant sin in your heart—any pride manifested as a bad attitude or feelings of disdain toward the person leaving—and be right before God. Pray that the Holy Spirit will show you anything else you need to repent of and confess. It’s also OK to pray that He will work in the hearts of those that leave you. Although it may never come (and you shouldn’t expect it), I have heard an “I’m sorry” for an offense that was committed literally decades earlier.
Keep your heart pure before Him and trust Him to sustain and strengthen you as you continue to live out your purpose. If applicable, ask Him to help you trust again.
If you thought being in ministry was about winning friends and influencing people, you’ve probably figured out by now that this is not the case. But that doesn’t make the reality of “losing friends” any easier.
There may be seasons when you feel as if everyone has betrayed you and you have no one left. Remember, your Savior experienced that, too. Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”
There may also be seasons when you feel like you have a lot of friends and you are waiting to figure out which one will be your Judas. Don’t. Just enjoy it.
Good friends that last are a gift.
