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Friendships are precious, sweet, and life-giving. However, sometimes things get messy and complicated. Find out how to heal a broken friendship. #friendships #brokenfriendship #healing

Friendships are precious, sweet, and life-giving. However, sometimes things get messy and complicated. Find out how to heal a broken friendship. #friendships #brokenfriendship #healing

I curled up on my bed, staring at my cell phone and willing it to vanish.

Dreading the phone call awaiting me. My heart racing with each passing second.

Next, to me my husband sat and said, “Just go ahead and get it started, otherwise it will never get better. You know you have to.”

You see, weeks prior some little tiny words welled up and spewed out of my mouth causing great pain. Little situations, left unchecked and unresolved, had built up until my best friend and I both sat with a mountain of hurt between us.

Now at a crossroads- would we fight to fix the friendship, or would we call the
relationship a loss and go our separate ways?

Now at a crossroads- would we fight to fix the friendship, or would we call the relationship a loss and go our separate ways? Click To Tweet

Friendships are precious, sweet, and life-giving. However, sometimes things get messy and complicated. Find out how to heal a broken friendship. #friendships #brokenfriendship #healing

 

How to Heal a Broken Friendship

It’s here I must confess, I am not a fan of resolving a conflict. Because if there is anything I have learned in my 35 years of life it’s that any relationship in crisis involves two parties who led to the crisis. If this relationship was in conflict then I had sin involved in it- and I never like having my sin called out.

So in the past, I have walked away from situations I didn’t want to fix.

But repeating the past only brings more of the same.

But repeating the past only brings more of the same. Click To Tweet

I reached for the phone and dialed her number.

She answered, and we spent the next hour and a half hashing out the wounds we had caused each other. Some sucker punch moments happened. A lot of tears were shed. Forgiveness requested. And granted.

That phone call was one of the hardest phone calls I’ve ever had, but in so many ways it is by far the best call I’ve experienced.

Because relationships washed in grace are able to withstand the darkest of storms. In this sin-riddled world, all our relationships will face storms. So if we want them to endure we need all the grace.

And, how do we repair strained relationships with friends when it’s easier to start over with someone new?

How do we repair strained relationships with friends when it's easier to start over with someone new? Click To Tweet

How to Heal a Broken Friendship

FirstStart with yourself instead of the other person.

It’s incredibly easy to point fingers at the other party when our feelings have been hurt, or our pride wounded. In order to have a true transformation in our relationships, we must begin by examining our hearts and lives and taking responsibility for our part in the relationship fracture. Were we gentle? Humble? Kind? Patient?

When we take on an offense we put up a defense.

When we take on an offense we put up a defense. Click To Tweet

This is never good when dealing with relationships because we will then filter everything we do and say through our defensive wall.

Coming back to these key verses help us maintain the right attitude for healthy relationships.

As I sat through the phone call and heard my friend’s heart, instead of just her complaints, I realized not only was I wounded; I caused wounds. In taking responsibility for my part of the problem the tension in the call shifted.

Friendships are precious, sweet, and life-giving. However, sometimes things get messy and complicated. Find out how to heal a broken friendship. #friendships #brokenfriendship #healing

 

SecondForgive like Jesus.

In our throw away society it is easy to be offended and walks away. But Jesus isn’t a walk away from God.

Quite the opposite- Jesus is a come toward God. When the relationship was fractured between Adam and God, God stepped toward Adam while Adam ran away.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other
and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.”

Colossians 3:13-14 NIV

In our verses today, Paul tells us to not only forgive- but forgive like Jesus.

ThirdMove toward the person and ask for forgiveness and offer forgiveness.

When we forgive like Jesus we see healing power.

When we forgive like Jesus we see healing power. Click To Tweet

Not that every relationship fractured will have perfect restoration and healing, but we will release the power of sin in our lives. We let go of offenses and tear down Satan’s power to breed resentment, bitterness, and anger.

Relationships are a messy business. And we live in a messy sin-riddled world. The combination of broken people doing life in a broken world will often end in broken relationships. But Jesus gives us the remedy for healing broken relationships-Himself.

Let’s choose today to be women who clothe ourselves as Jesus did- with humility, gentleness, patience, compassion, and grace. Is there a relationship in your life right now that is fractured? How can you move toward healing and away from hurt?

Begin healing today by laying the relationship down at the feet of Jesus for Him to begin healing.

Begin healing today by laying the relationship down at the feet of Jesus for Him to begin healing. Click To Tweet

Friendships are precious, sweet, and life-giving. However, sometimes things get messy and complicated. Find out how to heal a broken friendship. #friendships #brokenfriendship #healing

 

Prayer:

“Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of grace and the gift of people. Help us to be women who are willing to confess our sin and forgive as You forgive. Help me see my part in any wounded relationships and give me the strength to take responsibility and confess my sin. Help me forgive those who have wounded me because You have forgiven me.”


About the Author:

Natalia Drumm is a wife, mother, and Bible study teacher with a passion for building community and encouraging women to live rooted in the Word of God.

She and her husband raise there three boys in southwest Florida. You’ll find Natalia’s writing on her site, www.nataliadrumm.com as well as on ministry sites A Wife Like Me and Living by Design Ministries, where she serves as Bible study content editor. Natalia also writes devotional’s for Lifeway’s Journey magazine.

Her small group, Girlfriends in the Word is a ministry passion of hers and where she fuels her writing content from.

Connect with her on Instagram:
(www.instagram.com/nataliadrumm) or

Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/nataliadrummblog)


Want more Friendship Encouragement?

HOW TO MAKE BETTER FRIENDS

HOW TO BEGIN & ENJOY A MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

Also, HOW TO ENJOY MUTUALLY ENCOURAGING FRIENDSHIPS

HOW TO INVEST IN THE LIFE OF A YOUNGER FRIEND

HOW TO EXPAND YOUR FRIENDSHIP HORIZONS

 


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This blog occasionally uses affiliate links and may contain affiliate links. Additionally, Melanie Redd is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Also, for more on my disclosure policy, click HERE.

©. Further, excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Melanie Redd and Ministry of Hope with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.


Friendships are precious, sweet, and life-giving. However, sometimes things get messy and complicated. Find out how to heal a broken friendship. #friendships #brokenfriendship #healing


helloredds@gmail.com

Best-Selling Author | Speaker | Blogger| Podcaster | When the world is falling apart, we can ALWAYS trust in God’s goodness!

22 Comments

Marie · 08/18/2019 at 7:33 AM

I need some advice. Me and my friend drifted apart some ten years ago when she got a boyfriend. The she was expelled from school our senior year. It hurt me deeply what she did and she never called or texted me about what had happened. I had to hear rumors of what happened. My classmates tried to accept me into their group but I still felt like an outsiders. I had two teachers who really were there for me. As the years went by I had trouble connecting to people and trusting them. They always seemed to do something to hurt me. A couple of months ago this girl started coming to my church and I felt like I should reach out to her. I did and we have been trying to mend fences but whenever we are in the same room together it feels awkward and distant. She pointed it out to me and I told her we are different people now we need to get to know the new us. I told her somethings about me that she would not have known. Now she seems more distant. I don’t want to be a bother to her because I know she is busy with her family and all but I enjoyed talking with her everyday. I just don’t know what to do anymore.

Phenicious Phiri · 12/20/2018 at 7:51 AM

This article is awesome, i had a friend of mine whom we did not speak for sometime one day she picked up the phone and told me how much she misses us……immediately healing begun and still today we going strong. I ts not something easy to do.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 12/27/2018 at 11:09 AM

    Thank you!
    And, don’t you love when the healing starts!
    What a great story of your friendship.
    Appreciate you sharing~
    Melanie

Linda Stoll · 12/05/2018 at 6:41 PM

Thanks for talking about a subject that touches a tender place in my heart. A friendship that fades away because of conflict that can’t be resolved is akin to a divorce. The pain and the rending is truly life altering.

Been there. Had it done to me …

    helloredds@gmail.com · 12/07/2018 at 8:54 AM

    Amen, Linda!
    This is so true.
    Praying that God will restore, renew, and encourage you and your friendships.
    Thanks for stopping by~
    Blessings,
    Melanie

Diana · 12/03/2018 at 6:38 PM

I love this line “Let’s be women who clothe ourselves like Jesus ”

Great post, Natalia.

Melanie ,your friendship is so precious 🙂

Sarah Geringer · 12/03/2018 at 3:37 PM

Such a wonderful post, dear Natalia. I am so blessed to know you in person. And, I get to meet Melanie in person in 2019. I’m sure we will be instantly knitted together as friends in person, just like you and me were in 2017! So glad I can count you godly women as my sisters in Christ and true friends that I deeply admire. Blessings to you both. Sharing this several times on Pinterest and Twitter too.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 12/05/2018 at 2:57 PM

    Woohoo, Sarah!
    Can’t wait to meet you in person.
    Sure do appreciate you and your encouragement!
    Blessings,
    Melanie

Shannon · 12/03/2018 at 12:43 PM

This was so timely for me. Thank you Natalia and Melanie! Love you both:-)

Beth · 12/03/2018 at 10:09 AM

My mind went immediately to one relationship in my life that I have not done this and it really needs to be done, Natalia! Thank you for your honesty and encouragement to face these uncomfortable moments so that reconciliation and grace can flow! Thanks also to Melanie for sharing your wisdom with us today!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 12/03/2018 at 3:20 PM

    Amen, Beth!
    Praying for sweet reconciliation!
    Sure do appreciate you~
    Melanie

    Natalia · 12/05/2018 at 12:13 PM

    Beth, so glad it encouraged you. Praying for that relationship today!

Michele Morin · 12/03/2018 at 7:44 AM

Melanie and Natalia, thank you for teaming up to offer this message of forgiveness and hope for brokenness. The road you described is hard on the feet, but definitely the best choice in the long run.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 12/03/2018 at 3:19 PM

    Michele,
    Thanks for your kind words!
    I think it’s a great word from Natalia!
    Hope you have a blessed day~
    Melanie

helloredds@gmail.com · 12/02/2018 at 4:20 PM

Thank you, Natalia, for sharing such powerful words today!
This is such a great article about how to heal broken friendships.
Sure do appreciate you~
Melanie

Brittany · 12/02/2018 at 11:43 AM

I don’t even know where to begin with a few of my friendships. I feel like time has passed, and we have both moved on. Yet, I haven’t heaked the way I need too. Perhaps, I will do just like you did and begin with a phone call.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 12/02/2018 at 4:18 PM

    Hey Brittany,
    Maybe a phone call is a perfect way to reconnect!
    Praying God will bless your efforts~
    Melanie

    Natalia · 12/05/2018 at 12:16 PM

    Any beginning is better than nothing! A text, a call, a Thinking of you card, any movement is still movement. When I don’t know how to start, I start praying and the Lord always prompts the next step!! ❤️

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