Pastor Curtis Hall
1.8.06
Selections from Proverbs
Friendship Defined: a unique same gender relationship with common interests; a relationship that stretches and grows both persons involved
The Differences Between Community and Friendship:
Community reaches wide. Friendship reaches deep.
Community is a large group. Friendship is a small group.
Community is acquainted. Friendship is intimate.
Community knows when you are there. Friendship knows when you are missing.
1) Choose Your Friends - They are your guides. Proverbs 12:26, "The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Choose friends who are going where you are going, doing what you are doing, passionate about what you are passionate about, and fighting what you are fighting. (II Timothy 4:16)
2) Love Your Friends. Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Make I Corinthians 13 your mission for friendship. A true friend will not remove themselves from you during tough times. They will love you more. BE this friend to others, too!
3) Enjoy Your Friends. Proverbs 27:9, "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend." You do not have to fear judgment from true friends. You can reveal your whole self and rest securely in them. This is pure enjoyment!
4) Protect Your Friends. Proverbs 16:28, "A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends." Stop strife, lies, gossip, and perversion of or about your friends. They should do the same for you. (Proverbs 17:9)
5) Correct Your Friends. Proverbs 27:6, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." Keep each other from destruction. Be vulnerable and controntable. Value each other's souls more than the friendship itself. (Proverbs 27:17)
Understand:
You can not be the perfect friend apart from Christ, who IS the perfect Friend. He can not be exhausted or stifled as we as humans can be. He is our model for friendship! What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear...
These points will work in the world only in theory. They can only be truly fleshed out when Christ is the source and center of the friendship.
PRAY for good friends, and pray that you can BE a good friend! There is nothing sweeter than intimate companionship on the journey towards Christ-likeness!
4 comments:
I love you, friend... :-) Your friendship is all of these characteristics to me. After reading this I see that even more clearly that I ever have before.
We are serious, playful, vulnerable, teasing, encouraging, teaching... How precious it will be to finally hug your neck and make our friendship complete!
I can't wait! I love you!
::choked up:: I love you, too. And you are right, this IS the friendship we have. But think about it. We didn't even choose each other. We got dropped into each other's laps by way of a guy named Matt. :-P God is good!
You are right, we did not choose each other. You know what, though?The friends I have "chosen" for myself or thought were people that would be friend's for life... are not good friends anymore. They left when their life or mine became difficult. The truest friends in my life are few... but God has definately placed them in my life! Thank You God for Matt!!!!!!! :-) I love you more! teeheehee...
Why does its say a friendship is "same gender"? I'm a guy and all my friends are girls. This website needs to correct its errors.
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