Being a Friend, Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Reading: Proverbs 18:24, A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Some have hundreds of people that they would call a friend and others have a handful. Even some would say that they don’t really have any friends. There are a plethora of reasons why friendships vary. Unfortunately, some people don’t have very many friends or none at all because they are the “unwanted” or “undesirable”. There are some who would say that they have hundreds of “friends” but, with so many, they don’t really understand the depth of a true friendship. The world looks at the value of who you are based upon how popular you are… how many friends you have.

Luke 6:31 says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” As a Christian, it is not nearly as important how many friends you have, as it is how many people to whom you are a friend.

Who, in the key passage, is being described as “a friend who sticks closer than a brother”? If you answered Jesus, you are absolutely correct. There is no greater friend that has ever walked this earth than Jesus. And, He is still able to be the best friend anyone could ever encounter. This is encouragement for those who have very little or no friends at all. But, if we are true followers and imitators of Christ, wouldn’t we be striving to be “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” to others; no matter who they are, how they look, how they act, or even how they may smell?

Take some time and write out qualities that you need or want in a friend:





Challenge: You must be the one to be friendly. Don’t worry about the responses of others and whether they return the friendliness. Take all of the qualities that you listed and be all of those things to someone today.

REVIEW

How were you able to be a true and genuine friend to someone today?


What was the response and how did this impact you and your day?