Truth about friendship

Re: Verse reading–Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 27-42 (day seven)

“And Jonathan. . .loved him [David] as he loved himself.”–1 Samuel 20:17.  TRUTH–Life is to be fortified with many friendships.  TRUTH–“There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother”(Proverbs 18:24)  TRUTH–Friendship has the potential of being the highest form of love. (John 15:12-15)  TRUTH–Sin isolates.  The Enemy whispers that I am enough in myself, that I do not need others, that being with “them” is a waste.  TRUTH–The Spirit of God brings people together in unity and mutual agreement.   TRUTH–solitary confinement is a form of punishment in almost every society, a universally recognized reality.  TRUTH–ability to make and keep friends is the strongest predictor of success in every field of endeavor.  TRUTH–God is very concerned about my friendships and very clear about His expectations of me on this subject.  It is not “my private business”. TRUTH—We will meet together to think/believe/repent/change on this subject today at FBCSA.  TRUTH–We can do this!  Our Friend will help us.

Friends?

Jonathan and David’s friendship only leads me to ask many questions about my own. What should friendship between men even look like? How do we love one another? Is David and Jonathan unique, or does God intend for all of us to have such a friend or friends? Given how busy we are, is this even realistic? How can I get to a place where I am more comfortable sharing my struggles and hopes with another man? Do I even need that type of friendship? Does God want me to be that friend for someone else? Have I ever even approximated a friendship like David and Jonathan’s?

Lots of questions; for some the answers comes easy. I do know that God wants us to have good friends; to share life with good people, who will help us and do us no harm. In many ways I think I only scratch the surface of true friendship, but I am eager and willing learn how to be the kind of friend I need to be.

Me, Myself, and I

Re: Verse reading–Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 27-42 (day five)  But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

Greetings from St. Louis.  Having spent the better part of the last 2 days on a bus, I can tell you the interaction and conversations are abundant and interesting.  One of my favorite conversation games is “famous movie lines”. From drama to horror to comedy, each of the adults gets a turn to “entertain” the group.  Inevitably, Mel Brooks movies make their way into the conversation.  In his parody of the Star Wars movies, Brooks creates an alien being named MOG. MOG introduces himself in a classic movie quote, “I’m a MOG: half man, half dog.  I’m my own best friend”. (I may have used that one on this trip)

I know believers who have that same mindset.  They live in loneliness, isolation, and obscurity.  Often, it comes from an unwillingness to engage and pursue friendship and community.  Friendship is hard work- patience, forgiveness, honesty, flexibility, and energy are all required.  But the Bible clearly encourages these relationships.  The Christian life is not an “individual sport”.  It is most effective in the context of deep and meaningful friendships.

Faithful Friends

Re: Verse reading–Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 27-42 (day four) 

A friend is one who encourages and enables you to do God’s will for your life.  Sometimes it can be costly.  Jonathan was a true friend to David.  He did everything he could to enable David to fulfill God’s plan for his life…even though it came at great personal cost.  When God places a friend in your life and a need arises for them, we must go to God and ask what we can do to help.  Instead of looking at the drain on our time, energy, or finances, we need to come alongside them to enable them to accomplish God’s plan.  Ask God why He has put you in this place and what He wants you to do.  Maybe God has already placed resource in your life to assist.  Maybe you have been through circumstances that have given you insight and wisdom to pass along to them.  Whatever the cost, we must be faithful and loyal to our friends.

Friends

Re: Verse reading—Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 27-42 (day three) 

“They kissed each other and wept together.”  In a world where sex is the highest and best form of togetherness, nothing else is never good enough, and all other pursuits wither–especially the pursuit of friendship.  We read that “Jonathan loved [David] as his own soul”.  We hear David grieve Jonathan by declaring “Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women.”  In our day, such things indicate sexual expression–that these men became “more than friends.”  That kind of language cheapens friendship and blinds us to its power.  Jesus taught us that there is no love greater than that of the deepest, most sacrificial friendships.  If Jesus exalted friendship in that way, should we not question what our society has taught us about friendship?

Good Friends

Re: Verse reading–Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 27-42 (day two) 

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

Have you ever heard the saying “I may have to love you, but I don’t have to like you”? It’s true that we are called to love one another, but does that mean that everyone must become your BFF (best friend forever)? Those who will share that privilege are very few. Jesus had a small circle of friends who shared everything together. David and Jonathan are the example that we are reading this week. These types of friendships challenge us and help us to grow. They sharpen us as iron would sharpen iron. They defend us and keep us accountable. Remember to thank God today for those dear and close friends.

Love must be learned

Re: Verse reading–Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 27-42 (day one)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls an has no one to help him up.”–v 9.  Strange, isn’t it?  We have classes to teach us how to read and spell and add and speak Spanish. Seminars to learn how to invest our money or start a business.  But, normally, very little instruction is offered on one crucial element of happiness–how to make and keep friends!  “Love must be learned and learned again.  There is no end to it.  Hate needs no instruction.”–Katherine Anne Porter.  This week, RE Verse will guide us to read the word of God and reflect on the lessons, learned or ignored, on a subject that will have more to do with our success and happiness than almost any other.  Love must be learned.  How are we doing?

Law and love

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 20:12; Luke 2:45-52; John 19:25-27 (day seven)  

“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land.”

It will be a long road back, but we can do it.  “He is not willing for any to perish.”  We will need to change.  Attitudes.  Ideas.  Where we once thought of His Law as an imposition, a burden, we will now see it as blessing and necessary check on self-will. Where we once resisted His will, we will yield, in our recovery, to a government that rises from His great grace.  We will teach children to respect parents, to never consider themselves “free agents” from this obligation of gratitude.  We will repent from homes with absent fathers–either physically or emotionally– and will ask only from our children that which we also are willing to live and do.

The Bible doesn’t say God is Law.  It says God is Love.  But, maybe to God, these are the same thing.

Obedience

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 20:12; Luke 2:45-52; John 19:25-27 (day six)

Not sure if this is the case for everyone, but the word Obedience often has a negative connotation. In our culture, it can have the meaning of less then, subservient, or demeaned. “Subjecting yourself” is the very antithesis of the American Dream; we are told to “be true to yourself,” “do what you please,” “be subject to no one.”

The call to obedience is not a call to oppression and servitude. We don’t know much about Jesus’ childhood, but the Scriptures make one thing clear, he obeyed his parents. Of all kids, Jesus alone has the grounds to say, “no, dad.” He is the Son of God, he didn’t need Mary and Joseph bossing him around, and yet he “continued” to obey them.

The Scripture connects two truths when it comes to obeying parents, wisdom and love. Both the commandment and Jesus’ growth in wisdom teach us that it is not only right to obey parents, but there is wisdom to be had in it. Obedience is also an expression of love. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey me.”

Jesus obeyed his Father in heaven, by obeying Mary and Joseph. The call to obedience is not a call to be “less than who you are,” but rather by design to fulfill who you are to become.

Favor With God

Re: Verse reading–Exodus 20:12; Luke 2:45-52; John 19:25-27 (day four)  When Jesus remained back at the Temple and His parents finally missed Him, they searched and found Him in the middle of the teachers.  Jesus’ response was “Why is it that you were looking for Me?  Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”  From early in His life, this was His driving goal…to be about His Father’s business.  John 4:34 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work’.”  John 5:36 says, “…for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish–the very works I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”  Is that our driving goal in life?  Are we so concerned with doing God’s work He has for us, that we lose track of things that are going on around us?  Do others recognize this goal as a driving force in our lives?  The result of a ‘yes’ to these questions just might be favor with God!