Friendship

Ecclesiates 4:12
"Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Friendship. Helping eachother up when your down. I have a few very close friends in my life that have been there for me throughout thick and thin. They didn't judge, but they were there to lift me up when I was down. I was overpowered by my lifestyle and addiction and shut everyone in my life out. After years of wreckless living and destruction there were people that loved and cared about me so much that they were still there, and it was a huge encouragement to me to get clean. When I was stuck in that lifestyle, it was a neverending cycle of trying to block out my thoughts and even hoping that I would overdose and not wake up. I saw no light at the end of the tunnel and hated myself and the way I was living. Yet, there were those that loved me and cared about me, and after much persistance from these friends and family I realized they really do love me and that I was not only hurting myself but I was hurting them too.
Verse 10 says, "For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up." This is so beyond true. I secluded myself and was so lost in my lifestyle, and shutting everyone out, and turning off my phone and internet, that for awhile I had noone there to lift me up. The only ones I surrounded myself with were other drug users. I didn't want anyone around that was going to tell me to stop the way I was living. Its a horrible, selfish, lonely life. It was based around drugs, and drugs alone; like when I could get my next fix and sink back into oblivion ; when I could escape reality and be consumed with my alternate life ; when I could escape memories and nightmares of the past that I couldn't face. Finally when I hit rock bottom for the last time , alone and terrified in a hospital, heartbroken, with constant demonic voices and thoughts filling my mind, I finally had enough. I reached out to my mom, and prayed the Salvation prayer with her on the phone. I remember it clearly because of the terror that filled me. The voices didn't stop right then, but after I went back home to NY with my family and surrounded myself with strong believers who filled me the love of the Lord and prayed for me constantly, the voices faded away. I prayed to the Lord again for forgiveness and salvation and this time I was able to cry out freely to Him without those demonic voices trying to overpower it.
Its so important to have those friendships with other believers that can help lift you up when the devil is trying to bring you down. I am so blessed to be here at IGNITE where I am surrounded by these believers who have not only become friends to me, but are my family. Any time the devil tries to attack me with thoughts and memories, I always have a friend I can go to that is there to pray with me and help lift me out of that attack.
Application:
Tonight, I will share things with my roommates, Tianna and Natalia, that I have been reluctant to share about that the devil has used to attack me during my time here. I will invest more time with these girls and build a deeper friendship with them.