Helping a Hurting Friend: Bringing the Hope of Christ in Hard Times

If you have been in a dark or desperate place, you already know that the best kind of friend sits with your pain and listens. What does it take to be a compassionate, helping friend when those you love are struggling? A godly friend with a heart to help, a listening ear, and a love for God’s Word can be a profound help to a friend in need.  

Counselor Garret Higbee helps concerned friends embrace the idea of counseling in community and unpacks how members of the body of Christ can more effectively come alongside one another and carry each other’s burdens. He encourages us to develop the skills of patient listening and drawing out the heart before offering any words of guidance.  

Love is not only for times when it is easy but is especially needed when times are hard. When we might want to judge harshly or run away from a person’s pain or sin, a Christian friend will instead move toward the person, encouraging them sincerely, challenging them compassionately when needed, and restoring them gently to Christ.