"There's a friend who sticks closer than a brother..."
Christi HymelShare
“There’s a friend who sticks closer than a brother…” The Bible gives us lots of instructions about how we are to treat others. We are to honor our parents, the only commandment with a promise. The other 5 commandments are about how we are to treat others. The Ten Commandments are how deal with God, ourselves and our neighbor. They let us know how important relationships are to God and how we are to rightly prioritize relationships of our own. There are many passages in the Bible that instruct us how to honor our parents, how to treat our spouses, and even our neighbors. But there are also many passages that speak to that beautiful relationship called friendship. While sibling relationships are the only cradle to grave relationships that we will have while we sojourn upon the earth, friendships are the only relationships that we get to choose. There is an old proverb that says “show me your friends and I will show you your future.” It is of ultimate importance that we choose friendships wisely. Associate yourself with one who has an opposite worldview than your own and you may find yourself living a life you didn’t expect to be living and certainly didn’t want to be living. The book of Proverbs warns us over and over and again about how our associations with others will shape our lives. If we are not careful we may find ourselves going down paths that lead to danger and even death. I’ve seen too many examples of people who have started out in life headed in one direction only to find themselves turned around and upside by being influenced from those who do not love them or want what is in their best interest. I know without a doubt that God has rescued me from some seriously dangerous relationships over my lifetime. I also know that His goodness, grace and mercy to me have been evident in the friendships He has brought me along the way. When I look back over my lifetime there have been times when I have questioned God’s plan for where He has taken me. When my family had to move from Texas to Florida, I though I would surely die. He was taking me away from all my family with the exception of my parents. I was leaving behind 4 siblings, their spouses, my nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and many beloved friends. I was leaving what I knew was The Promised Land for a place I had never been before and didn’t really care to ever go. But God’s wisdom is beyond our comprehension. He took me from my place of comfort and brought me to a place where many other people had moved away from their family and friendships. Forty years ago Florida was the place where no one was from, a place where everyone had left their family and friends behind to forge a new path. I could not comprehend how one could have a holiday dinner with fewer than 50 or so people. I couldn’t comprehend how one did not see one’s siblings at least weekly. It was a strange new world and I was not thrilled to be it. But God knew what He was doing. For in coming to Florida I discovered the most thrilling secret. Everyone around me was without their families too and that made for some of the deepest friendships I had ever experienced. Many people in Florida are without their families, but their new found friends very quickly become like family. Holidays are not spent in ways I had always known, but they were not without their own charm. I have spent many holidays now with people I haven’t known very long, but who over time have become like family to me. I have been blessed beyond measure with friendships that have shaped me into the person I am today, friends who have been further along the walk with our Lord who have pointed me in the way I should go and have walked with me. My church family has become nearer and dearer to me than I think would have been possible had I stayed safely cocooned around my large extended family. The deepest friendships I have made have been with those who journeyed with me on the homeschooling road. There’s nothing like trying to figure out how to navigate your child’s education along with other parents who are trying to do the same thing. It bonded us together as little else could do. God allowed us to face the challenges together, to experience victories that were sweeter because of the hard fought battles that preceded them, and to share our hearts concerns over the disappointments that naturally came as well. Iron sharpening iron is certainly true. Walking with other Christians in this world is of the utmost importance. Not all of my family share my beliefs, but all my friends do and this is a glorious thing. While I do have friends who are not believers, they are not my close friends. Deep, abiding friendships are reserved for those who love the Lord and will keep me accountable for godly behavior. They are the friendships who will constantly point me back to my Savior when life becomes overwhelming or temptations seem to be too much to bear. I love meeting new people, figuring out how we fit into one another’s lives and then watching as the Lord does what only He can: knit our hearts together by the power of His Holy Spirit. I hope you have found God’s blessings through some treasured friendships. I know I have.