I'm finally getting a lunch break now that my days have been lengthened to a 5 o'clock end time and wanted to briefly hit on something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Its friendship. It comes in many forms, has many different meanings, and can range from being an acquaintance to truly feeling like blood relatives. It is also, believe it or not, not always easy.
How many people can you call a friend? If you look on my facebook page you will see I have many friends (not as many as my wife, but many nonetheless). Does this somehow mean that I'm popular, likable, reliable, or trustworthy. Or, does it mean that many individuals aren't embarrassed to be associated with me? Who knows the reason, but I can tell you that I know in my heart that there are only a select few individuals that I would rank on the blood relative or family part of the friendship spectrum and if you receive these emails you are there. That being said I want to dive into something a little deeper with all of you and its related to a couple of my favorite verses from Proverbs. They are:
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity"
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another"
Ever have conflict with a friend? I'm not talking surface conflict either. I'm talking about a deep routed disagreement on principals, an extreme difference in opinion, or maybe even a hurtful event or exchange that truly damages your heart and soul. You see I've had the misfortune or fortune... however you want to look at it a couple times in the past (probably due to my own selfishness) to be on the giving and receiving end of this and can tell you that if the Devil is going to dance, he's going to be in full swing during what I would call a valley of a friendship. The strange part is that it seems the deeper the friendship, the harder the devil will try to dance. Sadly, for this reason some friendships don't survive.
It is my hope that you never have to experience the valleys of a friendship, but if you do I would challenge you to keep Proverbs 17:17 and 27:17 in mind. With Christ in the center of any relationship it will not fail. Friendship is no exception. It is my prayer that each of you can apply the wisdom in the verses above to your friendships and that I can too. I further pray that the anger and resentment that Satan fosters would quickly leave all of us if we are ever face a challenging situation with a friend. We are here to enjoy each other and the love that we have for one another! We are here to grow as children of our Risen King! Consider this as we continue through this lenten season and if there is something on your heart that you need to let go of, by all means do it or share it. We are only a couple weeks away from the most blessed event in a Christians life. Let us celebrate a little early by keeping Christ-like love close to our heart and the heart of those we love now and always. And after saying all of that I just can't help, but utter "HE IS RISEN"
As always I welcome your perspective. We share and grow together. Drop me an email if you want or give me a call... Take care my friends!
Love In Christ,
Steve
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