Friendship

What kind of wisdom is needed in choosing friends and associates?
What kind of influence can friends have on us?

Good friendships:
Proverbs 13:20
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

• Walk with the wise-walk-spend time, have a relationship
• Take note of how they live, what they say

It has been said that “discipleship is more caught than taught”. Think about people in your life who have influenced you… you probably learned from them by the things they said, but probably even more by the way they lived

And similar to this Proverb is…

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

A Christ-centered friendship is one in which both parties are encouraged and challenged by one another to live godly lives. We need friendships that are Christ-centered and open and honest. The sharpening should goes both ways

These 2 Proverbs give us sage advice when it comes to choosing friends. The right friends can have such a wonderful impact on us.

Good friendships require honesty… even when it may hurt…

Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. NKJV
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. NIV
Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. NLT

How many of you want this kind of friend?
How many would actually listen if your friend told you you were wrong about something?
How many are actually this kind of friend, at least to someone?

Honesty, it’s such a lonely word… everyone is so untrue…

Why would we take the risk of “wounding” a friend?
Because to see someone go down a harmful path or make poor choices and say/do nothing is not very loving

Real friendship allows for honesty and differences of opinions
Real friends give friends permission to speak the truth in love

Along those lines, a true friend can offer advice to help in a time of need…

Proverbs 27:9
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.

Heartfelt advice from a friend is as beautiful as perfume and can bring joy to the heart. Wise friends offer wise advice. We all need a friend that we can confide in and ask advice of. God brings friends into our lives and often will speak to us through them and their wise counsel. This implies a teachable heart for the receiver and a willingness to share advice, when the situation warrants it.

These verses describe friendships that have depth, genuine care and concern for the other, and a heart to live a godly life. We will all have relationships with varying degrees of depth-that’s normal. It is unlikely that we will have close, deep relationships with everyone we know-it’s just not possible. But what a blessing to have 1 or 2 Godly friends with whom to share life with. If you don’t have that right now, pray and ask God for such a friend. And pray that you will be such a friend. If you do, cherish those friends and invest in them.