Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”
Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend, and don’t go to your brother’s house in your time of calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” Proverbs 27:10 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “To have a friend you have to be a friend.”
Who can you call at 2:00 in the morning if you’re stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire? Do you have friends who will respond to your need for assistance at a moment’s notice? And, are you that person for other people?
There’s an old saying that goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” In other words, the real friend is the one who will be there for you when it costs them something. Getting out of bed at 2:00 in the morning; helping to pay your rent when you are out of work; sitting with you for hours in the funeral home and sharing your grief; those are just a few examples of the kind of sacrifice a true friend will make for you.
Beyond that, in verse 17 Solomon describes a friendship that is real enough and safe enough to share personal problems and struggles as we help each other become the person of God that we need to be: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
Sadly many people don’t have friends like that. They do have a lot of “associates” who are usually called “friends” but really, they’re not friends in the deepest sense of the word. They’re people you know and are friendly with; they’re people you smile at and wave to; people you sometimes have superficial conversations with; but they’re not people you would feel comfortable discussing your deepest struggles with; they’re not people you would expect to help you pay your rent.
The Bible describes a true friend as one who loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17); and as one who is closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24); and who will make sacrifices for his friends, maybe even the ultimate sacrifice (John 15:13).
Few people meet the criteria of being a true friend but we all do need one or two friends like that. We need people who know us well, who have the freedom to speak truth into our lives, and who will hold us accountable. We need people we can count on no matter what. And, we need to be that person for someone else.
If you don’t have at least one or two real friends I encourage you to pray about it and ask God to bring them into your life. But remember, to have a friend like that, you have to be a friend like that. True friendship is a two-way street.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 