In our marriage we’ve learned that it’s not always easy. Things happen. Life happens. But let me ask you a question; When a problem or disagreement arises, where do you turn to? Who do you talk to? Do you reach out to your best friend or closest relative for advice or to vent? The answer is probably yes. It’s normal for people to look to others for help.

Early on in our marriage, we struggled with certain things because we were just learning the dynamics of how to be a blended family. When problems came up, I quickly turned to the people I was closest to at the time. Unfortunately, the advice I was getting wasn’t the best…and it didn’t align with God’s Word. Why? Because at the time, I surrounded myself with wordly people. People who were my friends but didn’t know God or follow Him. This created a lot of stress on our marriage.

As the years passed, and as I grew in my relationship with the Lord, I learned how important it is to surround myself with the right people. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 18 that “there are friends who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” It also says in 1 Corinthians “Bad companions ruin good character.” As I read this, I realized that I needed to have the right people in my circle. The friends that would speak life and truth into me and into my marriage. Friends that would fight for my marriage when my husband and I were going through something challenging. Friends that would come alongside of me and pray for my marriage. Friends that would build me up when I felt weak.

Eight years ago, my husband and I made one of the best decisions in our marriage. We decided together that we would only invite the right friends into our circle. The friends that would strengthen us and help us grow. To this day, we continue to make our relationships a priority and have seen major breakthroughs along the way.  God has plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future. With the right people on our side, we can live out God’s purpose for our life.