Yesterday I finally finished another chapter in my book, and I was very excited to share it with my PR manager that I emailed him right away. He was so supportive of what I had written, and he gave some constructive criticism of how to improve some of the sections of the chapter. 

The chapter that I finished was focused on developing a support group that you can trust and count on in your most vulnerable of situations. Sometimes it is very hard to determine who you can trust with your darkest secrets and who you know for a fact will be by your side every time you call no matter the time or situation. That is why I focus on developing God-filled support systems around myself, and I determine who can be in my inner circle of support through a few Bible-led interviewing techniques.

The first thing I do before I even attempt to choose someone to be in my support system is to make sure they are God-filled. Matthew 12:33 states, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.” So it is not for us to judge, but pay attention to the people around you and see what type of life they live and personality they have. If everything around them is negative, and they are always producing hate and they are always in a bad mood then their fruit is bad and they may need some time before becoming part of your support system.

Secondly, once you have some people in mind to be a part of your support system, spend a lot of time in prayer and see what God has to say about each person. Follow His direction on who to trust and let in your guarded space. Allow God to perform the background check and lead you to the people He knows will bring you to a higher state of achievement in Him and in the world.

Finally, spend some time regularly reading scripture so that you have the Word of God in your heart and at your ready when you need it. His Word is the only defense we have against the world and we need to know it. Ultimately you are in charge of you and have to lead the direction of your support system. This means that you have to know what it is you want and need physically, spiritually, and medically. Do not always rely on everyone else, but sometimes take charge and you lead the way.