This post is for anyone who has a friend (or small group member or congregant or neighbor or family member) who is living in a difficult Christian marriage, or who is going through a divorce, or who is a single mom.  You want to help her. You want to support her. But if you’ve never been in her shoes, you might not know what she needs.  But I’ve been all of these, so I want to help you to help her.

If your friend is in a hard marriage:

Pray. Ask the Spirit to help you know things you do not know, to give you the right words, and to soften your  heart.

Ask her. If your friend openly talks about the difficulties in her marriage, great. But if you just think she may be in a hard marriage, or even an abusive marriage, you will need to go to her. But be prepared that she may be defensive because she may either be in complete denial, she may not be ready to admit it to herself, or she may not be ready to deal with the potential fallout.

Read up on the subject. There are some amazing books out there on this subject. I’d recommend The Emotionally Destructive Marriage by Leslie Vernick, Foolproofing Your Life by Jan Silvious, or my e-book Surviving in a Difficult Christian Marriage.

Gather resources. Do some investigating for your friend. What kinds of support groups and social service agencies are available in your area that you can recommend to her?

Offer to go with her to talk to someone. If your friend readily admits that things in her marriage seem more difficult than they should be, gently suggest she talk to someone that she trusts, and offer to go with. First of all, saying these things out loud can be scary enough; but secondly, if you end up in a conversation with, for instance, a pastor who doesn’t know about these kinds of things and treats all marriages with a formula of pray more + a monthly date night + join a couples’ group = everything will be fine, odds are, she will feel unheard and probably won’t go back to him. If you’re with her, she may say all that needs to be said.

Follow up. If she didn’t admit to anything the first time around, but you still think there is a problem, keep praying and gently check in with her one more time, making sure she knows you’ll be there for her. If she did admit there’s something going on but wasn’t quite ready to do anything about it, go back and reassure her that you will help her walk through this.

Here’s what not to do:

Ignore it. The Spirit can help us sense things and if you truly feel a friend is in trouble, taking the chance on a difficult conversation is the least you can do for your friend. I know it can be scary, but ignoring it will only keep your friend in peril – emotionally, spiritually, and/or physically – longer. So speak up.

If your friend is going through a divorce:

Pray. Please.  Knowing that I had people in my life who loved Jesus who were talking to him about me was so huge, words almost can’t express.  There were times that I couldn’t pray, or my prayers were way too small or selfish or, hate to say it, just plain mean and immature.  That I had people talking to my Savior on my behalf in ways that I never would’ve thought to do or been able to do was what got me through that season the most, hands down.

Ask her how she’s doing. Caveat: but only if you can handle the truth, because depending on the day, you might get an earful.

Check in.  The occasional email, text, voicemail or note will make her day.  This thing she’s doing is isolating and scary.

Don’t try to fix her or her situation.  UNLESS she asks for advice, otherwise, please keep the “you should’s” to yourself.

Invite. Ask her to lunch or tea.  Ask her kids to do something with your family.  Keep her feeling connected.  She may say “no, thank you” but just knowing she’s included – especially as she’s transitioning out of couplehood – is essential.

Don’t judge.  This might be the hardest one.  No one can know all the details of any situation.  If you feel close enough to the person, ask the questions that you’re wondering deep down, and then listen with gentleness.  If you’re not all that close, hand it over to Jesus.  Remind yourself that we all make mistakes.  In any situation there are three versions – yours, the other parties’, and God’s.  Assume the best about the person because there may be so much more to the story than you know or may ever be able to know.

Love her.  Remind her that she’s loved.  She is more than likely very lonely.  She might be beating herself up over pretty much every choice she has made and is making. She is probably scared. She needs to know there are people who’ve got her back and won’t walk away.  One dear friend said to me during my divorce, “You can mess up absolutely everything in your life and I’m not going anywhere.”  That’s love.

Lastly, show grace.  She may be sucking at being your friend right now.  She’ll get better soon, I promise.  Please cut her some slack.  Getting through a divorce, I learned, was practically a full-time job.

If your friend is a single mom:

Pray for her.

Handyman help/lawn care help/automotive repair help.

Mentor and love her children.

Give her gift cards to: grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, Target/Walmart, Amazon, pretty much anywhere.

Invite her and her kids to be a part of your life. Have them over for dinner. Take them along when you do a family outing.

Offer to take care of her kids to give her a break.

Financial mentoring.

Take her out for coffee or a lunch.

Surprise her with a gift like a mani/pedi or massage or drop off a home-cooked meal.

Check in to see how she’s doing and what she might need.

I know you’re busy. I know your life is full. I know you could use an extra set of hands yourself. I get it. I was you a while back. But picture for a moment doing all you’re doing in your life, but without a partner as a helpmate or his income as a cushion.  That is what your struggling friend is doing.  She needs you.  She needs your support. She needs your grace. She needs your time. She needs your love.  If you help her get through this, you will be showing her that even though her marriage is over (which means she more than likely feels abandoned), God has not abandoned her and neither have you.

If you’d like to gift your friend with coaching or course resources, you can pick up a giftcard here.

Feeling overwhelmed? Grab my FREE pdf: 3 steps to instant clarity here!

Life isn't always how we want it. When change seems elusive, and we're stuck in old routines, a gentle push or some self-reflection can make a difference. Let these questions be that nudge to get you moving.

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