Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Daily Bible Reading: What Is A Godly Friendship?

Verse
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father’s glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  –Ephesians 1: 17
Reflection
This should be one of our main prayers for ourselves and for our fellow believers, that they will exercise the wisdom given to the by the Holy Spirit and that they will grow in the knowledge of God and who He is.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray for myself and I pray for my fellow believers, that we will continuously grow in the knowledge of who you are, Lord, and that we will receive wisdom from the Holy Spirit and apply it in our lives accordingly.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.
Godly Friendships
Jonathon and David had a friendship that was bonded in love.  They didn’t just see each other as friends, they treated each other as if they were brothers.  They were so close with each other the Bible records that they “knit with the soul” which means that they were in one accord.  They loved each other like brothers.  This friendship continued until Jonathon’s tragic death.  David was so moved by Jonathon’s death, he pledged to take care of anyone who was part of Jonathon’s family.  When David discovered that Jonathon had a son who was born with a disability, he took him in and treated like royalty.  He remained loyal to the promise that he made.
This is one of the examples of the way a godly friendship should be.  Friendships should be rooted in love.  It helps to have godly friends because when the two of you walk in one accord, you’l be doing so with Jesus at the center of your friendship.
It is sad to see that friendships have a completely different meaning nowadays.  People tend to become friends for all the wrong reasons.  Some use friendship as a way of getting things that they couldn’t’ get on their own.
There are a number of friendships where loyalty is non-existent.  This is not the plan God had when it came to companionship.  Our friendships should reflect the love of God in them.  When people take a look at you and your friends, they should see the bond of unity – not a heap of distrust.  It will be hard for you to minister effectively if people notice that all of your friendships are founded in dishonesty.
Follow the example of Jonathon and David and love each other as if you are family.  If you know that there are friendships in your life that do not glorify God because they are based on the wrong things, you need to walk away.  It will help you and it will help the other person too.
Godly friendships should be about loving each other, looking out for each other, and striving to bring out the best in each other – the same way Christ loves you, looks out for you, and strives to bring out the best in you.

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