Proverbs 18:24 There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
I have connected with a lot of people from my past over this last year. The variety of media platforms have made it easy to reach out and touch someone. One of the important things I’ve had to do was to make sure I did not reunite with toxic people that I had left behind or avoided from years passed. Some of these unhealthy soul-ties were broken for a good reason. Just because our paths seem to cross does not mean it is a good idea or time to reconnect. Yes, if the encounter is of God, then the Holy Spirit will prompt our spirit, and we will be at peace about being reacquainted. Otherwise, stay clear of the people who drag you down into their own destructive lives. Prov. 12:26a The righteous should choose his friends carefully.
My friend and pastor, David Kalamen has often said, “When God wants to bless you, He brings you a friend, and when the devil wants to destroy you, he also brings you a friend.” Hopefully, we have the discernment to know who brought that particular friend. Prov. 18:24 There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
We should also know the difference between friends and acquaintances. We have many acquaintances with whom we can be friendly but, that does not guarantee that they can be counted on to have our best interest at heart. However, real friends are those who accept us with our flaws, plus stick by us in the best and worst of times. Prov.17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. As the saying goes,” True friends are the ones who lift you up when no one else notices you’ve fallen.”
Jesus is that perfect friend who will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the one who is closer than a brother. Jesus is our Lord, and how wonderful to know that He is also our eternal friend. The Lord has made it clear that He wants our friendship. John 15:15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.
How do we as believers in Christ, thank the Lord for His faithful friendship toward us? We simply believe in the love that God has for us. James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. I know, this sounds too easy. There has to be a catch. No! Not so. We just have to believe and respond to the Love God has given us through Jesus our Lord.
We live in a throwaway world where people have become as disposable as plastic bags. However, when real friends cross paths, there is an immediate fellowship and building of the soul that takes place, and more so if both are pursuing the will of Christ. Prov. 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Wisdom dictates that we surround ourselves with people who lift us up in life and help us succeed in our life’s treasure hunt. My father-in-law often said, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.” Well, Jesus is my friend.
Is it time to reevaluate all our social media connections? It would depend on why we have the connections in the first place. But in a lot of cases, it would be good to clean up the overloaded list of names that are taking up valuable room that a real friend could fill. Prov. 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. What are you looking for when it comes to friendship? I want my friends to accept my idiosyncrasies, tell me when I’m being a jerk, and laugh at my lame humour because that is what the Lord does. May we all find the friends God gives us and may we be the friend God wants us to be. Amen!
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