Friendship

 We all like to make friends right from day one in our school the person with whom  we share  our table becomes our friend , In future if we stay in the same school and if we pass each class together than no doubt that same person becomes our best friend in our life and these worldly  "Best Friendship” last until we pass class 10^th  at the most until we pass out our 12^th later as days goes by we keep moving in life to achieve our own goals in order to achieve that we meet new people, we make new friends and as years pass by we remember the memories of our Best Childhood Friend with whom we are not in touch anymore.

 Many a times I ask a question to myself if we call somebody our best friend we spend time together, we eat together, we discuss life, careers etc and all of sudden we separate ourselves from our so called Best Friends just because we don’t like something in the same friend to whom we have earlier given a title of “ Best Friend” , “ Family Friend” , “ Good Friend” or a “ Friend in Christ”..

Who would we call our best friend? For some of us we call our parents our best friends, for some of us there spouse is there best friend, for some of us their childhood friend is a best friend or for some of us there office mates are best friends. Best friends are very important they back up us when people are against us. No problem is so dark in presence of best friends.

Jesus gave us the biblical definition of a true friend in John 15 verse 13-15 The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

Lets us see some examples of friendships from the Bible

There are a number of friendships in the Bible that remind us of how we should be treating one another on  a daily basis.

Ruth and Naomi:  Friendships can be formed among different ages and from anywhere. Ruth 1 16-17  we get to know how Ruth became friends with her mother in law and they became family, looking out for each other throughout their lives.

Today I urge to all those mother in laws and the daughter in laws if you have any problem in this delicate relationship just put across in front of you the example of Ruth and Naomi and just ask Jesus to guide you in the same way like Ruth so that you can be best friends.

David and Jonathan : Sometime it does happen there are people who hates you or they don’t like your presence and one fine day the same person becomes your good friend. In David and Jonathan case they never hated each other but their friendship happened instantly. In 1 Samuel 18 1-3 We get to know that they both became friends instantly.

David and Abiathar: Friends protect one another and gets disturbed when the other friend is going through hard time in family, life etc.  I would like to share my testimony here and I thank Jesus for giving me so good friend , A friend who stood along with my family  when we were  going through the hard time during my father’s hospitalization.

In 1 Samuel 22 22-23 we get to know David felt the pain of Abiathar’s loss, as well as responsibility for it, so he vowed to protect him from Saul’s wrath.

Elijah and Elisha: Friends stick to each other, no mater what the situation is good friends never leave each other. Today few of us will be not on talking terms with your good friends or you may have left the companionship of your good friends so today is the day prayerfully ask Jesus to give us the same attitude of Elisha that we will not leave our good friends under any circumstance.

In 2 Kings 2:2 “ And Elijah said to Elisha , Stay here for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel, But Elisha replied As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you! So they went down together to Bethel.

Friends introduce friends to other friends, In Romans 16 3-4, Paul said  “ Greet Priscilla and Aquila my co -workers in Christ  Jesus.

Loyal friends love through difficult time: Proverbs 17:17 A friend is always loyal and a brother is born to help in time of need. In our difficult times our family may not be with us, few fake friends who claim themselves as a good friend may not be with us but a true and a good friend will always be with us in our  hard times.

Counsel from a friend is pleasing: Proverbs 27:9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Many a  time we may come to a situation where we may feel disheartened by the deeds of our good friends but the counsel and advise given by our good friends is little hard to bear but its good because it’s a real advise.

Friends Shape and Sharpen one another: Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. We should always have a friend who will never sharpen us to do wrong thing but will always sharpen us to do something good and work for the spread of gospel.

Believers Enjoy Friendship with God; Romans 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his son.

Before I conclude I would like to recite the below poem which I read once.

I like you not only for what you are,

But for what I am when I am with you.

I like you not only for what you have made of yourself,

But for what you are making of me.

I like you not for closing your ears to the discords in me,

But for adding to the music in me by worshipful listening.

You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign,

You have done it just by being yourself.

Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank you for fulfilling my needs and all of my friends needs who are reading the message now. Father gives us the heart and an attitude to be a good friend to people around us and to help our friends in need. Father today we pray due some reason if we have lost our good friends companionship through your holy spirit reunite us with our good friends. Through your Son Jesus Christ Amen.