A Friend Like You

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity”

Proverbs 17:17

Dinah Craik wrote a poem titled, “Friendship” that when I first read it I immediately liked it and I think you will too. “O, the comfort – the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words – but pouring them right out – just as they are – chaff and grain together – Certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them – Keep what is worth keeping – And with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.”

What wouldn’t we all give to have someone send us a card with words like these expressing his or her thanks for gift of our friendship. Better still, you could copy these words above and send them as your own to someone in your life as a way of saying thank you to them for being this kind of friend to you. I’m certain their day will be blessed if not the next few weeks or months. After all, it was Mark Twain who once wrote, “I can go for three months on one good compliment”. Go ahead, make someones day!

Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend loves at all times. No matter what we do our true friends remain faithful even when we are not. No wonder friendship is such a rare treasure. Obviously there are degrees of friendship and this type would be the pinnacle of the mountain. For each of us the first person who should come to mind is our Savior. Jesus Christ is the friend of sinners and He loves us even when we are not lovable!

Proverbs 17:17  goes on to say that a brother is born for adversity. Some interpret this to say our family members cause us grief but that could not be further from the truth. The brother born for adversity spoken of here is a comfort to us during our troubled times. Do you have a family member or a friend like this? If so, praise the Lord, cherish them, tell them, and seek to reciprocate the same kindness back to them for they are truly a gift, a rare treasure from God, and a visible manifestation of His amazing grace to you.

If you can’t think of a friend like this in your life don’t despair. Begin by being this type of friend to someone else. Ask the Lord to make you the kind of friend other people would want to have. Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Start by showing yourself friendly! It’s really that easy, loved one; it really is that simple. Take the first step and reach out to others. Take an interest in them; prefer them over yourself, because that is exactly what Jesus did for me and you. Jesus put your needs and my needs above His own. That’s how we know we have a friend in Jesus, a friend who sticks closer to us than a brother ever would. Jesus gave us the ultimate gift when He gave His life for us, what more could He give?

Do you know what the secret to friendship is? It’s really no secret at all, loved one. “Be one before you seek one!” It’s really that simple, be one, be a friend first! Keep this little old saying in mind today as you go about your day. “I went out looking for a friend and found none, I went out to be a friend and made many”. Today is our chance to go out and make many!


“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

Philippians 2:1-7

I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

Recent

Archive

Categories

no categories

Tags

no tags