Thursday, August 29, 2013

Friends - Who needs them?


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

Friends is a show that started in 1994. For the few who may not know this, it’s about 3 guys and 3 girls who hang out together in Greenwich Village, New York.  It’s amazing how much people know about the characters on the show.  Why is there so much interest in the show?  I think it might have to do with the fact that people like to watch how others struggle through relationships--even if those relationships are just TV plots. Maybe people like to know that good friends fight and argue, and break-up like Ross and Rachel do.  Maybe people like to dream of a being accepted just as they are--like on TV, because in the real world acceptance is tied to performance.

Reality television shows about relationships are rating extremely high.  Vicariously, people place themselves into the relationships in the shows.  Even religious broadcasting designs sets where husbands and wives sit with friends in a living room setting where there is seemingly a chair for you in their home as they share their lives.  They even speak to you as if you are in the room. Sadly, those who watch daily know more about their lives than their own families.  We are hungry for close relationships.

Friends do more than merely fill our lives with support and fun.  They often define us.  The scripture tells us, As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)  As we share in the lives of our friends we discover that our lives become intertwined.  Our thoughts and musings are often about them.  We are anxious to know about their day and to tell them about our own.  It is not uncommon to find friends who people feel must be related because they seem so alike.

How important are friendships in your life? What is the key to lasting friendships? I think I’m safe in saying that we all give lip service to the fact that "Yeah I should make friendships a priority."  But when it comes to making changes in our life to make it a reality--we give up.  Too much time. Too much trouble. Too much risk.  In America, according to polls--70% of us said that we have few close friends and this causes us to feel a serious void in our lives. But the rat race that so many of us are living day in and day out causes us to just give up and live with frustration and emptiness.

Most people today want to find friends who will accept them the way they are.  "A friend is someone who knows all about me and still likes me."  We want friends who will be loyal to us and keep their promises. Those who will stand with us when no one else will?  A friend is someone I can be myself around and not worry what they think about me; someone who believes in me.

It is interesting that what we long for is exactly what Christ desires to be for us.  He certainly meets all the requirements of a good friend.  He is faithful beyond measure.  He accepts us and understands us as no one else can.  He is loyal to us regardless of the circumstances of our lives.  We just need to lean on Him as He asks us to and know Him to experience His love.  Try Him today.

Scripture to Claim:
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24

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