Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals. 1 Corinthians 15:33
He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20
The Kind of Friend You Need
Just as a good friend will be there to help us when we need them, there will be those that seem good and say all the right things, but it may not be the things we need to hear. There also can be a tendency to turn to those people who want to distract us from our problems. We hurt and our minds are scrambled with trying to figure everything out, and maybe we have been in this place for a very long time, and we are very, very tired and weary of it all. So the idea of anything that will take our minds off the problems and the pain can entice us away from focusing on God and what He wants us to learn in this trial. Numbing ourselves to our current pain also numbs us to where we are going and the truth that God’s promises are always good – even in the worst of times. There is a way through and an end to what you are going through now but when we get off the path, we have to find our way back which prolongs everything. If we let Him, His goodness and love will cover the pain we feel.
Theonly person in worse trouble than a person without a friend is a person with a dangerous friend.
Satan wants to be our friend. He wants to lead us away from God and showing us something that gives us temporary pleasure in the middle of intense trial is his calling card. He knows what will make us follow him. He knows what shiny thing to flash, when to throw the bucket of water on our scorched soul, what to send to fill the void that consumes us. Beware. Be A-ware. He’s crafty. He knows what easy prey we are when we are feeling weak, afraid, insecure, unsure, alone, anxious, weary, and most of all hopeless.
If you have a friend that works hard to try to take your mind off your problems, it doesn’t mean they are a bad friend. They care about you and mean well, and friends do provide a blessed distraction at times, along with perspective. The real problem is the path Satan want to take you down. We are masters of numbing ourselves to the pain but when we are numb, we miss the very important message God has for us. God will not waste our trials. There will always be something we can learn and grow from.
He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20
There will be people in our lives who may not be the good friends we think they are. Anyone who leads us further away from God does not have our best interest at heart. Many young people learn things from friends like, stealing, smoking, drugs, etc.
In Philippians 3:17-19 Paul gives us what to look for in the people we choose to let into our lives, and those things to beware of.
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
"enemies of the cross" - oppose God's influence on their life
"whose God is their appetite" - seek cheap thrills, sensual, “If it feels good, do it”
"who glory in their shame" - consider demeaning things valuable for respect
“set their mind on earthly things” – physical success, fame, pleasure, things
“whose end is destruction” – consequence is set
A True Friend is Steadfast. Proverbs 17:17a A friend loves at all times
Phileo love, or brotherly love, is the core attribute of friendship. This steadfast love is what we need. A steadfast friend knows us, our minds, and our hearts. We can share our emotions with them and feel accepted and understood.
What kind of a friend are you? Are you steadfast and accepting, challenging them to look to God? What kind of advice do you give? To be the kind of friend that our friends really need, we need to make sure that we are pointing them to God in their times of trouble, and not away from Him.
