True, not Best, Friends
Are you a Friend, or a Real Friend?
I am amazed at the people who will make a fool of themselves to be Paris Hilton’s New BFF (Best Friend Forever). Really, you think that you need ONE best friend and that someone who is a BFF will make you make a fool of yourself to just to become that. Over the past weeks we have looked at different relationships we need, and we have 5 more to look at after today, and at some time they are all your best friend. They are your best friend in different ways, but they are still that. We do not need a BFF, but a TRUE Friend. As Proverbs 18:24 says: “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” As The Message shares it. In the NIV it ends …”there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
A Friend helps you move. A Real Friend helps you move a corpse. That old joke is not about a true friend, but a real friend is not far from a true friend. Cicero argued that if when we die we can count on the fingers of one hand the number of TRUE friends we have we will have been the wealthiest person on earth. Montaigne thought Cicero was an optimist and that you could only share that with one person. Let’s look at an interaction between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel.
“’Come outside,’ said Jonathan. ‘Let's go to the field.’ When the two of them were out in the field, Jonathan said, ‘As God, the God of Israel, is my witness, by this time tomorrow I'll get it out of my father how he feels about you. Then I'll let you know what I learn. May God do his worst to me if I let you down! If my father still intends to kill you, I'll tell you and get you out of here in one piece. And God be with you as he's been with my father! If I make it through this alive, continue to be my covenant friend. And if I die, keep the covenant friendship with my family—forever. And when God finally rids the earth of David's enemies, stay loyal to Jonathan!’ Jonathan repeated his pledge of love and friendship for David. He loved David more than his own soul!”
Jonathan is sacrificing his throne and his family at some level because he is true friend. His father is less than reliable, but he will not betray his friend. (We can think about the other parts of the relationship at a different time.)
Jonathan is willing to do this because he has overcome the sins that prevent us from experiencing this relationship. He is not ego centered. He has let go of his self-centeredness and it frees him to go to deeper levels with David. The next sin that he let go was to stop being just surface with David. The last sin that Jonathan had to overcome was the one that kept him from sacrificing. He had to sacrifice to be a true friend to David.
This week, I pray that you overcome these same sins so that you can be a true friend to someone. I also pray that you find a true friend who has overcome these sins to be in your life as well.
Blessings,
Pastor Greg
I am amazed at the people who will make a fool of themselves to be Paris Hilton’s New BFF (Best Friend Forever). Really, you think that you need ONE best friend and that someone who is a BFF will make you make a fool of yourself to just to become that. Over the past weeks we have looked at different relationships we need, and we have 5 more to look at after today, and at some time they are all your best friend. They are your best friend in different ways, but they are still that. We do not need a BFF, but a TRUE Friend. As Proverbs 18:24 says: “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” As The Message shares it. In the NIV it ends …”there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
A Friend helps you move. A Real Friend helps you move a corpse. That old joke is not about a true friend, but a real friend is not far from a true friend. Cicero argued that if when we die we can count on the fingers of one hand the number of TRUE friends we have we will have been the wealthiest person on earth. Montaigne thought Cicero was an optimist and that you could only share that with one person. Let’s look at an interaction between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel.
“’Come outside,’ said Jonathan. ‘Let's go to the field.’ When the two of them were out in the field, Jonathan said, ‘As God, the God of Israel, is my witness, by this time tomorrow I'll get it out of my father how he feels about you. Then I'll let you know what I learn. May God do his worst to me if I let you down! If my father still intends to kill you, I'll tell you and get you out of here in one piece. And God be with you as he's been with my father! If I make it through this alive, continue to be my covenant friend. And if I die, keep the covenant friendship with my family—forever. And when God finally rids the earth of David's enemies, stay loyal to Jonathan!’ Jonathan repeated his pledge of love and friendship for David. He loved David more than his own soul!”
Jonathan is sacrificing his throne and his family at some level because he is true friend. His father is less than reliable, but he will not betray his friend. (We can think about the other parts of the relationship at a different time.)
Jonathan is willing to do this because he has overcome the sins that prevent us from experiencing this relationship. He is not ego centered. He has let go of his self-centeredness and it frees him to go to deeper levels with David. The next sin that he let go was to stop being just surface with David. The last sin that Jonathan had to overcome was the one that kept him from sacrificing. He had to sacrifice to be a true friend to David.
This week, I pray that you overcome these same sins so that you can be a true friend to someone. I also pray that you find a true friend who has overcome these sins to be in your life as well.
Blessings,
Pastor Greg
posted by Covenant of the Cross at
8:56 AM
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