Friends

(Prov 18:24 ) Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.


Here we come across one of those Proverbs that has many interpretations. The tradition King James Version reads: "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." The emphasis there is on showing yourself friendly. Most modern translations, like the one I chose today, focus more on the blessing true friends can be. And yet still there are other translations that say: "A man of too many friends comes to ruin." The warning there is against having too many friends, or really 'superficial' friends. Instead of siding with any one of the three, I will seek to share three major lessons I learn from the combined interpretations.

1. You reap what you sow. If you want to have friends you have to be friendly. Ovid, the Roman poet, said: "The way to be beloved is to be lovely." While this may seem obvious, as many proverbs do, it often goes overlooked. If you want to create and cultivate friendships you must be sociable, welcoming and warm. No one wants to befriend an inhospitable, antagonistic and unreceptive person.

2. Having too many [so called] friends can be disappointing and overwhelming: I consider myself a very outgoing and social person. Maintaining relationships takes work and I have put in my fair share of work into relationships over the years, but there have been many occasions where I realized I had to simply let some people go. Attempting to maintain too many relationships can be overwhelming, especially when the effort is not being reciprocated. To avoid disappointment and exhaustion you would do well in recognizing who your true friends and rewarding acquaintances are and then limiting your effort to just those.

3. True friendship is a wonderful blessing: We all need friends who will stick close, listen, care, and offer help when it is needed-in good times and bad. Of all the friends I have there are two that have a special place in my life Debbie and Charlotte they both live on Maui. These two friends were there for me when I was at the lowest point of my life. They never judged me, looked down on me, or forsook me. They prayed with me, and stood by me when I needed them the most. I have never, nor will I ever forget it. Over the years we have laughed together, cried together, and celebrated some of the most important moments in our lives together. While we may not live close to each other any more, we remain close and when we see each other, even after long periods of time, it is as if we had just seen each other. You don't get many of these "type" of friends, maybe just one or two in a lifetime. I have found mine, I pray you find yours.

I think I have already said it. Be friendly, choose your friends wisely, and enjoy the blessing the Father can bestow upon you through Godly relationships!


Father, thank You for this lesson this morning. I heed Your counsel. I will show myself friendly to others. I will be the sociable, welcoming and warm believer You desire for me to be. I will shine as light in the midst of darkness, as love in the midst of hatred, and as hope in the midst of despair. I also thank You in advance for giving me the wisdom to know who my friends really are and who I should invest my time, energy and effort into. As You lead me, I will release those people that are counterproductive to what You desire to do in my life. And lastly, THANK YOU Father for blessing me with great friends. I know the blessing friends can be and I enjoy the Godly relationships You have blessed me to have. My life is better because of the people You have blessed me to enjoy it with! In Jesus' name. Amen!