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WEEK 2
Models of Care “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).
“I’m confused,” Sarah confided to her group leader. “I really want to help women in our Bible study group because so many of them are struggling with life. Jane has a chronically sick child, Francis’s alcoholic husband can’t keep a job, Ramona’s mother died a few weeks ago and left a mess behind, and Ruth learned just yesterday that she has breast cancer. When I signed up for the Bible study, I didn’t know there were so many hurting people in our church.” Sarah’s predicament is common for those who genuinely care for others who are troubled. People come to us because they desperately need a friend. Their problems might be acute or chronic, financial or relational, about themselves or about someone they love. All they know is that they can’t figure things out on their own. At that critical moment in their lives, we can walk with them to impart wisdom, hope, and support. Sarah’s compassion propels her to want to help, but she needs to define her goals of helping so she won’t become a casualty herself. God has made people as relational beings. We are deeply wounded in relationships, yet we can experience forgiveness and healing in relationships. Truth is most powerfully and fully absorbed if it is modeled and taught by a wise friend who cares deeply about the hurting person.
