By Staff
Sonya Rogers
In order to deal with difficult times in your life, where do you turn, or better yet, who do you turn to? Many people tend to turn to family, long-term friends, or neighbors. In choosing a quality network or support team, look for gifted, loving, and wise people that God puts in your path. We are surrounded by many people each year, each day, and often times each minute that are possible candidates for quality support. Some people will just appear right when you need them. Others you will search for on your own, such as professionals in a given area.
People serve as resources. Therefore, we can be of service to others in times of need and hope that when we are facing trials and tribulations the favor will be returned. A few great gifts you can freely give to others are support, love, values, experience, wisdom, feedback, courage, modeling, and accountability. King Solomon once wrote, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up."
God gives us strength through the support of others to deal with trivial situations and to assist us in making wise decisions. The Bible states, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). We all need to feel loved! Maslow's hierarchy of needs lists love as being a crucial factor for humans meeting their basic needs in order to feel self-fulfilled and self-actualized. Yet, finding the right love that is genuine makes all the difference.
Since your values are what guide you, it is important to develop a network of friends who portray values which are important to you. Friends who live by integrity are the ones who do what they say they will do. Isn't this the kind of friend you wish to have and represent for others? As a means of knowing how effective you are as a friend or support agent for others, it is vital that you are held accountable for your actions in regards to strengthening certain areas of essential focus. This is why feedback is so important. Sometimes people can be headed in the wrong direction and they need a true supporter to correct their path.
Being that we do not possess all the knowledge and wisdom that we need to conquer life's battles, it is imperative that we lean on wise people. There are many times when we need the experience of others to assist us. These people can literally say, "I've been there." In other words, humans basically learn best by observing those who have already experienced a burdensome situation, yet are doing fine today. The vast number of decisions that we make in our lifetime will require risk taking and courage. The Apostle Paul once stated to his friends, "Keep up your courage."
Think about the people in your life who give you courage simply by their mere presence. Moreover, think about what ideologies and values you have learned from others. We all need a safety net of friends who demonstrate love, wisdom, support, and positive values. For another second, think…….
"Who has God put in your life as a role model?"
Sonya Rogers is an independent columnist for the Atmore Advance and reports on educational issues. She may be reached by e-mail at newsroom@atmoreadvance.com