Whenever we face a personal or relational problem, our first instinct is to run. Couples bury their emotions until they flare up later. People deny their true feelings until they begin to interfere with their day-to-day lives. However, in order to alleviate the discomfort, you have to address it, even if it means feeling pain in the process.

Run toward your problems not away from them. Move toward the source of the conflict, not away from it. This takes discernment and the right kind of tools. If you are having trouble in your relationship, it takes wisdom and the right kind of resources to help you find resolution. In order to deal with grief or depression, it takes the right kind of support to deal with your emotions so you can find healing. This might include counseling, journaling, prayer, depending on close friends, or reading books that addresses your problem. Most importantly, it takes the presence of God who brings redemption in the midst of  devastation. If you run away, you may be able to postpone or ignore the issue temporarily, but it will eventually find you. Resolution is only found by dealing with the problem head on. With God’s help you can do it.

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In high school, it seems like most teens want to be popular. But what does it mean to be popular? Is everyone your friend? No. Do a lot of people know you? Yeah, in a superficial sense. This continues into adulthood, as we can often obsess over our image and likeability. Even if you achieve widespread admiration among your peers, how many people really know you?

In reality, happiness is not found in achieving acclaim in the eyes of others. One huge ingredient in forming a happy life is developing deep friendships with other people. But how many people really have an inner circle of those they have completely opened up to? It wasn’t until college that I found friends that I connected to on a deep level. They knew everything about me—the good, the not so good, the downright annoying, and even the dark and sinful parts of my life. But they still loved me and accepted me. That’s true friendship.

Not every friend can be a close friend. In order to have others open up to you, you have to take the risk to open up as well. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of doing this in return. You want a circle of people around you who are also growing and maturing. Sometimes you might trust someone who turns out to be unworthy of that trust. They break promises, they refuse to see things from your point of view, they preach at you rather than listen, they spread private information about you. This is when they prove to be unsafe. It takes a discerning mind and a cautious heart, but there are people out there willing and mature enough to support you. So reach out in faith and God will bring the right people into your life.

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