True Friends Heighten Our Joy In God
Companionship always deepens joy. My favorite movie is good when watched alone, but its better with a friend. Somehow a great meal is more satisfying when shared. We naturally drag our friends into what we enjoy: You have to see this movie! You have to come to this restaurant with me!
But of all the joys of life, God is the greatest! We were made for him to enjoy him and center our hearts and lives on him. And like any other joy, our joy in God will be fullest when we share it with other people. Christian friends help us enjoy God by enjoying him with us.
Its tempting to flip and distort this formula by using God as a means to enjoy people more. If we only go to him to ask for spouses, friends, or kids to enjoy, it reveals we see God as the means to someone else. We should be doing the opposite: looking for more of him in other people. Ironically, we will enjoy our friends more, the more our friendships become a means of enjoying God.
Do You Have Godly Friendships In Your Life
Do you consider yourself a good friend to those around you? I suppose the better question to ask would beAre YOU being a Godly friend?
As Christian women, we need Godly friendships of women that will be real with us and keep us on a straight path in Godly wisdom right? This is such truth even when it may be something we may not want to be said to us.
In all honesty, I have been a loner for the biggest majority of my life. Can you relate? As I said before my sister and I was brought up in a very sheltered environment and to be honest now that I am much older Im truly grateful for that.
Back home in Kentucky, Im known as the girl that never spoke. Lol! Now Im outta my shell somewhat, but Im still quite reserved and keep to myself.
The Cross Is Historys Most Heroic Act Of Friendship
Jesus wants us to view the cross in terms of friendship. On the night before he died, as he explained the meaning of the cross to his disciples, Jesus said, greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends . The cross is certainly an act of substitutionary atonement, where Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place. But it is also, very personally, a relational act of friendship.
Through his death, Jesus expressed the deepest love for his people. He did not die for an unspecified humanity he died for specific people. He died for those he considered his dear friends.
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James : 4 On Friendship With The World
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God
Having bad friends can easily pull you away from the faith in Christ. If you are not in Christ, you are already lusting after the things of the world.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money Matthew 6:24
Therefore, if you walk in the flesh, you are a friend of the world and an enemy to God. You can not inherit Gods kingdom when you dont keep his ways.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery idolatry and witchcraft hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God Galatians 5:19-21
What Does Jesus Say About Friendship
Jesus had a lot to say about friendships and friends, but above all, Jesus emphasis and emphasis the need for love and sacrifices in friendships as we see here Luke 11:5-8 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed I cannot rise and give thee.
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
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Why Are Godly Friendships So Important
After reading and meditating over the story between Jonathan and David I pray you understand the importance of true friends. What an amazing example right?
That being said, God is infinite and knew the struggles David and Saul would have. God knew the hardships you and I will EVER face, sweet friend from our past, present, and future too.
Godly friendships provide the support needed to see us through lifes challenges, both the ups and downs. First and foremost, God is and should be the one we turn towards firstno matter what.
That being said, God also has given us the gift of Godly friendships and I am forever grateful for this blessing, arent you?
Why Should We Pursue Godly Friendships
God has given us the tremendous blessing of Godly friendships, that being said, however, we have also have an adversarySatan himself, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy the way God intended friendships to be. With this in mind, you and I must use discernment on the friends we pursue and make certain theyre Godly friendships?
Im more than certain youve heard the phrase your personality becomes like those you surround yourselves with, right? I dont mean to come across as judging others but whether we choose to believe this or not, its a proven fact time and time again.
Thoughts become actions! Actions become words! Lets not forget about gossiping too. Ouch! Pray for the Holy Spirit to speak truth to your heart and soul and do the convicting in your own life. Trust me when I say Ive been under conviction about this very topic more than once!
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There Are Friends That Are Bad
1 Corinthians 15:33 Dont fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you.
Proverbs 20:6 There are many who say, You can trust me! But can they be trusted?
Proverbs 22:24-25 Do not make friends with a hot tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.
Proverbs 12:26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 14:6-7 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Leave the presence of a food, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
Friendships can also be toxic, and God acknowledges this in many verses. He warns us of those that are bringing us down, and to avoid these relationships. A toxic friendship does not bring you closer to God, but takes you further away. God warns us to be careful with the character of others when we are making our friends. He does not want us to consume or involve ourselves with people that will hurt our souls.
Friendship Shows The World That We Belong To Jesus
When this lonely world of broken relationships sees churches filled with friendshipsimperfect friendships, to be sure, but relationships filled with true repentance and forgivenessthen they will know that something has come from above. They will see that our talk of Jesus as the friend of sinners is real.
Thats what Jesus said in John 13:35: by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. And later in this same conversation, Jesus defined this love for one another in terms of the mutual love of friends. He said, This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you . And how has he loved us? Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends . This is how we are to show the world that we are Jesus disciples: when we love one another as he loved us, namely, with sacrificial friendship.
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Biblical Friendship Is The Only Real Friendship
Many of the Christians I counsel struggle with the concept of friendship, particularly those who have been let down, abandoned, or betrayed by people they thought of as friends. One of the reasons believers struggle with friendship is they dont understand what the concept really means. There is a vast difference between how the world views friendship and how God views it. The gap between worldly friendship and Biblical friendship is of Grand-Canyon proportions. It is important that as Christians you and I have a Biblical view of friendship.
I often find it necessary to tell counseling clients that the friends who let them down probably werent friends in the first place. It is likely they were just friendly acquaintances who saw some benefit for them in the relationship. Real friendsmeaning Biblical friendsare not in the relationship for what they can get out of it nor do they abandon or betray friends in bad times. Biblical friends stick with you even when there is no perceived benefit in doing so and even in the midst of adversity. This is the message in Proverbs 17:17: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. The word brother in this verse refers not just to siblings, but more broadly to brothers and sisters in Christ.
What Does The Bible Say About Choosing Friends
God designed friendship to be an intimate relationship that is kept close to the heart. That means we have to be wise about who we allow to fill that role in our lives. Because the truth is, not everyone needs access to the intimate details of your life. Not everyone can be trusted with them. A friend will become someone that you can trust we the hard, messy, hurtful, joyful, trying, and exciting parts of your life. Because of that, we need to be wise in who we open ourselves up to.
In addition to that, friends hold key places of influence in our lives. Theyre the ones we run to for help, counsel, comfort, encouragement, and direction.
I remember a proverb from King Solomon,
He who walks with the wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.Proverbs 13:20
In his letters to the Corinthians Paul teaches,
Bad company corrupts good character.1 Corinthians 15:33
For these reasons, when it comes to choosing our friends we need to use discernment. We should always be a friend, but we shouldnt assume that every person we encounter is prepared to do friendship Gods way. The truth is many arent. So be discerning.
Okay, so we know a good friend is a blessing, and we know to be careful about the friends and company we choose. Still, we have the questions, what does it actually mean to be a good friend?
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Friendship: Biblical Definition Examples & Why It Matters
Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Friendshipis patient, friendship is kind. It does not hate, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easy to break, it keeps no record of wrong and it rejoices with the truth.
Biblical Friendship is an unconditional heartfelt relationship between friends that means to love and not allowing self to get in the way. The essence of the bond is to seek the other person’s best interest. We see this in John 15:13-15, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
What Does The Bible Say About Friendship With The World
In the Bible phrase friendship with the world is used to describe our relationship with the ways of the world. James uses this phrase in his letter to the tribes of Israel.
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.James 4:4
He writes this in response to contentions that started between the tribes due to jealousy over material and worldly things. This was no small matter. Theft, murder, adultery, covetousness these things were happening among the people because they were so concerned with feeding their own pleasures they lost sight of Gods ways and started living according to the standards of their own wants and the nations around them.
You may not be out stealing, murdering, or committing adultery but those arent the only ways to compromise your relationship with God. God wants friends who are all in for Him and will abide in truth even when it pits them against the system. The standards of truth, justice, and goodness are set for us through Gods teaching in the Bible.
In His letter to the Christians in Rome Paul teaches,
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.Romans 12:2
When a person is friends with the world it means they have elevated the worlds standard of truth over THE TRUTH .
Thats NOT what God wants for us.
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Paul Priscilla And Aquila
Friends introduce friends to other friends. In this case, Paul is introducing friends to one another and asking that his greetings be sent to those close to him.
Romans 16:3-4 – “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.”
To Find A Friend Be A Friend
My oldest son once told me that he didnt have any friends. Of course children are sometimes known to exaggerate but I told him that the Bible shows us how to make friends. As Proverbs 18:24 says, A man that has friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. There is a key to having loyal friends or making friends in the first place. You have to show yourself friendly.
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Unreliable Friends Lead You To Ruin
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Notice that this verse doesn’t say that being unreliable will lead you to ruin. That’s self-evident. The point here is that even if you’re doing everything right, surrounding yourself with irresponsible people will eventually cost you. You simply can’t do it all alone, so you must surround yourself with trustworthy and dependable people.
The writer of Proverbs contrasts unreliable friends with those who are like siblings. No matter what, they’re always there and ready to help.
Proverbs 1: 26 On Making Good Friends
The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray
As Christians, we must make good friends. This helps boost our faith in Christ. Having friends that are unbelievers will corrupt your faith in Christ Jesus. We should learn to walk with those who already walk in the spirit.
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Examples Of Friendship In The Bible
- M.P.A., University of IllinoisSpringfield
- B.S., Psychology and Criminal Justice, Illinois State University.
There are a number of friendships in the Bible that remind us of how we should be treating one another on a daily basis. From Old Testament friendships to relationships that inspired epistles in the New Testament, we look to these examples of friendships in the Bible to inspire us in our own relationships.
Wounds From A Friend Can Be Trusted
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
This is a hard lesson to learn. We don’t like taking criticism from anyone. And we often expect friends to support and affirm us no matter what. But when we really think about it, we know that’s not helpful. Our friends know us best, and we desperately need them to point out our blind spots. The writer of Proverbs calls these truths “wounds,” and reminds us to trust them.
On the other hand, our enemies will often manipulate us with kindness. The writer of Proverbs would warn us all not to be blinded by flattery and to welcome being challenged by the people closest to us.
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What The Bible Says About Friendships
friends
Llorenç Desch
- Communication. A study by the research and a consulting firm Millennial Branding showed that 98 percent of employers say effective communication skills are essential for their job candidates.
- Positive attitude.
7 Qualities Of A Good Friend
- Honest. Among the traits of a best friend, honesty is easily one of the most significant.
- Accepting. Great friends are accepting, even when their lives diverge from your own.
- Low-Maintenance.