A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17
Believers and unbelievers can know true friendship, but there’s greater joy in friendships among Christ followers. Jesus was the first true Friend. In Him we find our identity, creating a connection that those outside can never experience.
Take “Mike” and “Jon”. I know them personally. They are each a picture of Christ-like friendship.
Jon has physical limitations and lives alone, but he leads a fulfilling life. He stays close to his family and God. He is connected to his neighbors, who also offer help in big and small ways. But Jon also gives of himself to others as a friend. Jon had a choice. His limitations could have made him bitter. He could have pushed others away. He chose to be like Jesus instead.
Mike is a gregarious, take-charge guy. I call him a fixer because he often helps people in need that others miss. He has an uncanny way (the Holy Spirit) of identifying needs and is quick to offer a helping hand without intruding. Mike ensures that those he helps feel uplifted rather than diminished—Christ alive in him.
God’s Word tells us how to be a friend. Just look at Jesus.
“a friend who sticks closer than a brother…”
Proverbs 18:24
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, …deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”
Proverbs 27:6
Share the Good News in your world!
Isaiah 52:7
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 