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