Title: Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love
Author: Edward T. Welch
Major Themes: Friendship, Counseling
Synopsis: A practical guidebook for how to develop deeper friendships with people and support each other in the struggles we all face.
Several months ago, I appreciated reading A Small Book About Why We Hide, a devotional by Edward Welch. The same friend who loaned that book to me also loaned me Side by Side. I struggle with building relationships with others, so she thought it might be helpful—and it turned out to be a useful book to read!
Publisher’s description:
Practical Guidance for Loving Others Well
Everyone needs help from time to time, especially in the midst of painful circumstances and difficult trials. In this short book, a highly respected biblical counselor and successful author offers practical guidance for all Christians―pastors and laypeople alike―who want to develop their “helping skills” when it comes to walking alongside hurting people.
Written out of the conviction that friends are the best helpers, this accessible introduction to biblical counseling will equip believers to share their burdens with one another through gentle words of wisdom and kind acts of love. This book is written for those eager to see God use ordinary relationships and conversations between ordinary Christians to work extraordinary miracles in the lives of his people.
My thoughts:
This book is split into 17 chapters, each one dealing with an aspect of life or a topic related to building our relationship with the Lord and others. The first section of the book deals with our own neediness and the things that create blocks between us and the Lord and others. It also gives tips for how to ask others for help in ways that are beneficial to us and others. The second part of the book is focused on how we can help others—first by building relationships with them, then going deeper as fellow-heirs with Christ to build them up and pray for them in the struggles they face.
I found the second section especially convicting, because I don’t do well at reaching out to others. There are many, many tips here for how to start and maintain conversations, which I’m finding useful to consider and try to implement in my daily interactions with different people. There’s also some very useful perspectives on ways to support those suffering, and some good examples of what not to do when we’re trying to help.
This book is also highly gospel-centric, applying the gospel not only to our lives but also to our friends’ lives and situations. I really appreciated that aspect of the book!
I’ve come away from Side by Side challenged and encouraged to try to reach out to others more, and hopefully with a few tools to be a better friend when I do so. I feel like I’ve only skimmed the surface of everything I could learn from this book, but I’m grateful to have had the chance to read it once, and hopefully, eventually, I’ll have the chance to reread it and try to understand another level of the tips and truths Welch shares here. Highly recommended!
No warnings!
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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