The Gift of Friendship

The Gift of Friendship

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

Friendship is one of God’s special gifts given to us to help with our emotional, physical and spiritual development. As with any gift, we need to understand how to use it if we are to maximize its usefulness. Here are 3 steps that will help us get the most out of this beautiful and precious gift.

1. Avoid bad friendship choices

The more time you spend with a person, the more you become like that person. You are a product of the people you’re around. Why do you sometimes allow your bedroom to become messy? We become too busy to do the little things everyday to keep it tidy. We become used to it over time. It no linger bothers us

We can allow ourselves to be influenced for the same reasons we allow our rooms to be messy. We have intentions of avoiding bad behaviour but we surround ourselves constantly with bad company, it will eventually catch us with our guard down.

2. Choose friends wisely

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor; But the way of the wicked causeth them to err.   Proverbs 12:26

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.    Proverbs 27:6

What do you look for in a friend when deciding if that person will or will not be your close friend. Although factors such as where you live, where you go to school, your hobbies & recreational activities and your family ties can influence our decisions, the choice is still up to you.

Choosing wisely means that you:

·        Choose people who are striving to please God.

·        Choose people who cause you to stretch

·        Choose people who set goals.

·        Choose people who have balance in their lives.

3. Hold to your convictions

Have you ever met someone that you couldn't remember their name but they remember yours? You get engaged in a conversation about some shared event all the while you are still trying to remember their name. Ever realized that the longer you take to ask them their name the more difficult it becomes.

In the same way, if you allow your friends’ poor choices to negatively impact you without comment, you gradually loose a grip on your convictions. To ensure that you stay true to our convictions in any friendship it is critical that you let your friends know your standards, very early in the relationship.
God wants you to enjoy his gift of friendship, don’t let bad friendship choices ruin it.

The Gift of Friendship

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

Friendship is one of God’s special gifts given to us to help with our emotional, physical and spiritual development. As with any gift, we need to understand how to use it if we are to maximize its usefulness. Here are 3 steps that will help us get the most out of this beautiful and precious gift.

1. Avoid bad friendship choices

We can allow ourselves to be influenced for the same reasons we allow our rooms to be messy. We have intentions of avoiding bad behaviour but we surround ourselves constantly with bad company, it will eventually catch us with our guard down.

2. Choose friends wisely

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor; But the way of the wicked causeth them to err. Proverbs 12:26

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6

What do you look for in a friend when deciding if that person will or will not be your close friend. Although factors such as where you live, where you go to school, your hobbies & recreational activities and your family ties can influence our decisions, the choice is still up to you.

Choosing wisely means that you:

· Choose people who are striving to please God.

· Choose people who cause you to stretch

· Choose people who set goals.

· Choose people who have balance in their lives.

3. Hold to your convictions

Have you ever met someone that you couldn't remember their name but they remember yours? You get engaged in a conversation about some shared event all the while you are still trying to remember their name. Ever realized that the longer you take to ask them their name the more difficult it becomes.