September 11, 2019 – Click here to listen
I think that one of the most important blessings of God in this life is friendship. It is a gift that adds laughter, beauty, good counsel, and joy to our lives, and it’s a welcome relief in times of suffering. According to the Bible, friendship is a key ingredient to our success. Wise old King Solomon knew the value of friendship. He said in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12: Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
One of the saddest moments of my life was my brother’s suicide and it was greatly compounded by his funeral. Not one person, aside from family, attended his funeral. Imagine someone living for more than a half of a century and not having one friend. In the end he was a lonely, tortured soul, full of despair. It was a paradox of the highest order because he was educated, articulate, and a great conversationalist; he was also intelligent, good looking, and charming and one would have thought that he would have tons of friends. Unfortunately, his acquaintances were ungodly New Orleans style bitter-hard drinking-druggies.
Old King Sol said in Proverbs 18:24: There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Jim’s “friends” were the kind that destroy each other. Old King Sol also said: Such wicked people are detestable to the LORD. And in James it states: You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
A good friend wisely said just yesterday that life is all about choices. Choose your friends wisely my friends and avoid becoming an “enemy of God”. My advice is to be friends with Jesus Christ and His followers and not the world. We cannot have it both ways. Our best friend should be Jesus Christ and our other friends should love the Lord as much as we do.
Everyone wants to succeed, but like anything worthwhile in life it takes some effort on our parts. Making friends is no different. Yes, we are a busy society and you are no doubt as busy as a bee but make this a priority. The Bible teaches that in order to have friends we must be friendly ourselves. If you don’t have any-or-many friends, then there is no better place to start grooming them than in a church. Don’t miss out on one of the greatest treasures one could ever hope to accumulate; one that trumps having the big portfolio in a heartbeat.
The Bible states: As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. One time I changed churches and quit attending the church that I normally attend. I received a glaring example of this iron sharpening concept when I received the following e-mail: “We have missed you in Sunday school for about as long as we can stand it. Get “yo” rear end back as soon as possible.” It’s so nice to be loved . . .
Romans 5:10
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son