I can personally attest to the fact that there is nothing good about being alone in life. The Lord Himself made note of this when he created Adam. It’s recorded in Genesis 2:18 – Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” He of course was talking about Eve in this passage, but God wasn’t limiting it to a husband-wife relationship. He mentioned the value of having other friendships numerous times in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and elsewhere in the Bible.
We cannot do our best alone.
Proverbs 27:17 states: “Iron sharpens iron. So one person sharpens another”.
Have you ever been the recipient of a mean spirited attack by a friend?
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times . . .
Sometimes our adversity becomes too much and we fall. Who will be there to help us to pick up the broken pieces of our lives?
Eccl. 4:9 – Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
Who doesn’t need good counsel now and then?
Proverbs 27:9 – Oil and perfume make the heart glad. So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
It would seem that we would work very hard to preserve such a valuable commodity; however far too many of us are all too quick to burn a bridge rather than repair it. Personally I think pride and willful thinking are among the biggest causes of burning bridges. Burn baby burn is the war chant.
It is a form of self-destruction. I’ve been caught up in it and it seems to take a life of its own once the fire is lit. Someone will say something that offends us; we will respond in like manner, which elicits a harsher response and then a downright cruel response is forthcoming, and before one knows it, so many inconsiderate things have been said that pride will not allow for reconciliation or forgiveness.
The way to preserve peace is to make the best of everything; not to notice what has been said or done against ourselves. It has been said that a gentle reproof will enter, not only into the head, but into the heart of a wise person.
Ugh! The antonym for wise is foolish . . . Foolish pride precludes a gentle reproof and not to notice what Has been said against us is repelled because. “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” – Destruction of a friendship is a serious fall.
Love is the antithesis of pride. The key to friendship begins and ends with love. Love is defined in the Bible in 1 Cor.13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Does that sound like you? Yikes, I feel like getting on my knees and crying out to the Lord! It seems impossible to fulfill that definition, but you know what, we can try. Read that passage over and again and start improving today. That’s what I intend to do. And if we need more encouragement just check this verse out:
1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Got any sins in your life that need to be covered?
So we have a choice, we can love ourselves with our foolish pride. or we can Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind’; and, Love our neighbor (and friends) as ourselves.
Ouch! Love someone else as much as we love and admire ourselves????
One thing for sure Jesus is our friend and He voluntarily gave His life for us His friends. Friends are defined by Him as those who love Him and believe Him. Would you lay down your life for a friend?
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church this Sunday where Doug Woolley will be speaking. Doug currently serves as a USA Regional Director and an International Director for the FGBMFI. (Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International) He also works as a systems engineer for Verizon.
John 15:13
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
September 9 2016 – Click here to listen