WHO IS IN YOUR NETWORK?

WHO IS IN YOUR NETWORK?

 

 

Are you surrounded by groups of people at home, church, school, or work who say to you such things as: “We’re all in this together”; “How can we help you today?”; “If you’re hurting, we’re hurting”? This is what God had in mind: that we would all watch out for one another. He’s not much interested in excuses: “I’m an introvert,” “I’m too busy to be in a small group at church,” or “I’ve tried to meet my neighbors!” Let

Scripture talk to you today about how living life in community with others can help you accomplish your godly life purposes.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL, MINISTERIAL, OR EMOTIONAL NETWORKS THAT REALLY WORK

 

 

If you’ve ever been in a career- or ministry-focused network, you know that those relationships are extremely valuable. You currently may be in a season-of-life group such as MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), or you may be staying in touch with friends you made at a writers’ conference. Perhaps you meet with a Christian counselor for marital support. Or maybe you are in a weekly class at church, a carpool, a loving family, or a babysitting co-op. See how Andria Hall, founder of SpeakEasy M.E.D.I.A., counts on her support system.

 

 

ANDRIA HALL COLLECTS FRIENDS

 

 

Andria is a veteran broadcast journalist, former weekend anchor for the CNN/USA cable network, author, wife, and mother of three children. After achieving worldly success, she discovered that it all rings hollow without an authentic and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Andria now dedicates her life to the acronym for which her media and public presentation company, SpeakEasy M.E.D.I.A., stands: to Minister, Edify, and Divinely Inspire All . . . to the glory of God. She encourages others to believe that they can do God’s will and do it well.

 

 

Andria says that she craves a closer connection to God. She firmly believes that her top priority is to seek what’s important to him. She says that all the other stuff—professional connections, monetary gain, business growth, and so on—has developed when she has stayed focused on God’s plan, not her own.

 

 

Regardless of the stuff, she’s all his! Andria believes that true success is attainable only by yielding to the transforming power of Jesus Christ. She is called to help others work purposefully for God and to realize that the pursuit of excellence is not optional.

 

 

Andria counts herself blessed because God has placed in her life a network of close friends, reliable professional contacts, and caring brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been ordained by God to “do life” with her. To receive the gift of loving support, she focuses on offering the same. She thinks of people as souls first and contacts last.

 

 

She sums up: “If God has allowed someone to enter my life—even if that person’s intentions are not godly, it is for a reason. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me figure out if a person is in my life to learn from, fellowship with, or minister to. After all, he is the expert on how to develop meaningful relationships, which is the basic principle of networking.”

 

 

Who Is in Your Professional, Ministerial, or Emotional Network?

Jesus Had a Ministerial Network of Friends

 

 

Jesus called the twelve apostles to help him with his work on earth. Eleven of them modeled the value of relationships. Three became Christ’s best friends. Read Matthew 10:1–8. What efforts have you made to be surrounded by best friends?

 

 

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

 

 

By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope

isn’t easily snapped. (Ecclesiastes 4:12, MSG)

 

 

SUGGESTED PRAYER

 

 

Dear Lord, by myself I, _________, am unprotected. With a friend, I can face the worst. Can you help me round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. Today I pray that I will be surrounded by godly networks. Open doors for me to meet just the right people at just the right time, who will lovingly support your will for my life. Bring lots of us together to humbly serve you and each other.

 

 

So . . . What Insight, Prayer, or Action Step Has God Laid on Your Heart Today?