Key Bible Verse: A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need (Proverbs 17:17). Bonus Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Recently I underwent a battery of medical tests to determine the cause of severe stomach pain. I feared the worst. An upper G.I. test revealed some kind of inflammation in the intestines. There was also a spot on my spine that looked odd. I lost about seven pounds and became so overwhelmed by fear that I closed up and sealed myself off from others.

During that week of tests, a friend came over to the house to see how I was doing. Since I hadn't reached out, he reached out to me. Paul just fired away. "Hey, Todd, how come you're not letting your friends stand with you during this time? You and Kenny [Luck] are writing all this curriculum about how men need to be connected with other men, and here you are isolated! How come you're shutting out your best friends when you need them most?"

Yikes! Did he really say that? But he was right. I'd called some of my friends to let them know what was going on, but I hadn't really included them in the process. It was too painful. I didn't want to talk about it. I just wanted it to go away. You always know who your friends are. They're the ones who never give up on you.

—Todd Wendorff in Being God's Man … in Tough Times

My Response: How does the male tendency to tough it out alone frustrate friendships?

Adapted from Being God's Man … in Tough Times (WaterBrook, 2003) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, I invite you to work in my life through a real friend. And please use me in his life as well.

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