Thought for Saturday, February 4th

February 4, 2012

The Value of A Friend

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

     This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 15:12-14

Quote of the Day:

“The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime.” – Mark Twain

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

In our modern, fast paced world it seems that friendships lean more toward seasonal encounters rather than life-long relationships.

And while it is natural that some friendships are but for a season, because of geographic transitions and logistics – it is also true that there will be those special friendships that will overcome time and distance and will endure regardless of longitudes and latitudes or time apart.

While things like Facebook and other social computerized networks allow us limited connections to friends from our past and present – true friends are those who care about, pray for and think of each other frequently and often.

I often wonder in our transient society today, if we haven’t lost what our grandparents and great grandparents experienced in friendships that were built on depending on each other, helping each other in hard times and sharing bounty in good times.  They seemed to have friendships that were long lasting and had deep roots.  Sadly many of our friendships in this day and time are short-lived, and often superficial.  But if our friendships are rooted in a mutually shared faith and love based on our connection through Christ Jesus, there is hope that these friendships will last beyond this world and will be rekindled and or continued into eternity.

Regardless of whether your friendships are what some call forever friends, or possibly friends for a season, for whatever reason, we need to be committed to our friends as deeply and with as much care, concern and love as our dearest friend and elder brother, Christ Jesus, has for us.

Friends are like flowers in a garden, they make life more beautiful and they add such a sweet aroma to the essence of life.

So then that leaves us with this to ponder are we the best friend that we can be to the friends we are blessed to have?  Are we the kind of friend to others that Jesus is to us?

Today’s Prayer

Father how marvelously wonderful, great and glorious you are and how blessed and honored I am to be your child.   Thank you for your love and may I be a faithful friend to those you bring into my life by sharing that love with them that you so graciously give to me.

“Don’t wait for people to be friendly, show them how.”

-          Anonymous

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me