Friends

friendship

A friend cheers our successes and bears our burdens …

“Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship  refreshes the soul.”

Proverbs 27:9 New Living Translation

 

“You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.” 

Proverbs 27:17 New Living Translation

 

Life can be cruel or comfortable. It can be zestful or draining. There are joys in life, but also devastating pain. Although we can mitigate some of the disappointing negative parts of life by making good choices, nobody escapes life unscathed.

Most of life is lived somewhere between delightful and disastrous and we can be thankful to God for that. But for those other times of the extremes at either end, we can be thankful for friends.

For good friends share willingly in times of trouble or bliss. Scripture says that “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 KJV When you’re celebrating, they’re wearing the party hat and blowing the paper horn! But when the sky darkens and adversity’s winds howl, it’s their arm around your shoulder, a prayer on their lips and understanding in their hearts.

Ecclesiastes 4:10 says that “ … if one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” New Living Translation  Real trouble indeed!

So … how many good friends do you have? Do you have a ‘refresher of your soul’ … someone who settles you down, gives you wise counsel and makes you smile at life? Is there anyone (other than family) who whistles and whoops with you?

And how about during the difficult times? It’s wonderful to have someone standing with you who may not have all the answers but stands quietly beside you as you suffer. C.S. Lewis gave this description: “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” 

God gave us friends so that we never need to be ‘the only one.’

Want good friends? Find ones who model our Best Friend. You know, the One who said, … I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”  John 15:15 Even though Jesus is enough for any of us, it was never his intention that we go through life with a scarcity of good friends.

This week make it your goal to find someone who adds delight to your life, but also is willing to speak truth to you in love when you need it.

Great friends are some of God’s best gifts!

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