Proverbs 17:17 (KJV)
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Friendship is a powerful and essential relationship between two people, characterized by love, care, and genuine concern for each other’s well-being. True friends consistently demonstrate unwavering love and support, always prioritizing the best interests of their companions. Their commitment to going above and beyond to ensure the happiness of others is rooted in their willingness to share in the joy of others. Friendship plays a pivotal role in our spiritual and personal development and in fostering the growth of those around us. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.” True friendship is when a friend can challenge, correct, encourage, and build us to be what God intended us to be. True friends render their help with a willing and pure heart, void of fatalistic intentions. They look out for areas where they know we need their assistance.
In this world, many are quick to call everybody a friend. The presence of individuals in our lives does not necessarily equate to friendship. Merely sharing a school or familial connection does not guarantee a genuine friendship. Some relationships are conditional, based on shared interests or beliefs, and disintegrate when diverging paths are taken. True friends, on the other hand, offer unwavering support through all circumstances, be it adversity or prosperity. They stand by us during tumultuous times and provide steadfast companionship. Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and loves at all times. This kind of love and friendship can only be supernatural. David found such a friend in the son of King Saul called Jonathan. He protected and sought only David’s interests and wanted his friend’s happiness. There is also another friend, Christ Jesus, the one true friend who will never fail us, disappoint us, or let us down. He is completely trustworthy and deserves our unwavering confidence. He said in John 15:14–15, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” The good news for us today is that Jesus is that perfect Friend we desire. We can find our best friends wanting, but Jesus does not disappoint. Joseph Scriven wrote, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grieve to bear; what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Jesus is not just a friend but a reliable and dependable one, always there to comfort and guide us.
Beloved, the choice of friends can significantly impact your life. One wrong choice in friendships can lead to ruin, while one good friend can be one of your life’s most rewarding and beneficial parts. So, choose the right kind of friends to be around you, for much of who you are is the result of who you choose to be your friends. Recognize today that not everyone can go where God is taking you. Connect with people who understand your destiny and can call forth your seeds of greatness and not people who will deny, betray, and backstab you. You don’t have time to spend on fake friends constantly pushing you down, telling you what you can’t do, or never giving you their approval, no matter how hard you try. In your moments of trial, temptation and hardship, turn to the Great Friend, Jesus Christ, who is always there. Listen to His Words as He speaks to you through the Scriptures. Spend time in prayer and experience the comfort of His Presence. Seek His forgiveness when you stray from Him and His ways. Be encouraged, and remember that no matter what happens, He will not leave or abandon you. Let Him hold you close to His Heart. Rest in Him and find peace, for He truly is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother! As a Christian, be different, as the light of the world, teach the world what true friendship means. Reach out to Jesus and make Him your best friend by always doing His Will. In Him, you can find a faithful, dependable, and reliable Friend that your soul desires. Christ is the Friend who loves you at all times, regardless of your condition. Remember to choose your friends wisely; they can shape your life and spiritual journey.
O LORD, thank You for placing the right people in my life and helping me discern the right connections You have for me in Jesus’ Name.