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Oh To Be Wise Meditations
The hardest thing to do is make a real friend. Friends come and go in life. You have work friends, church friends, even family friends. Depending where you are in life determines greatly the people you surround yourself with. I can remember my wife and I when we had no children and we would have friends at the time that had children. We were on totally different wavelengths, even our conversations were hard to get through. People change, different experiences happen, and nominal friends can become enemies. Obviously politics can divide friends, religion and interest groups can, and frivolous things like sports can be an issue as well. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. There's nothing so delicious as the taste of gossip! It melts in your mouth but dirty's the hands and feet with sin. Usually back biting and gossip get between friends, but life in general just does. Again, the hardest thing to do is make a real friend. I think of Jesus getting the reputation of being a friend of sinners. He did not condone sin or participate in the destructive behaviors of the ungodly. But He did spend time with them, time enough to hear them out. Listening to them and caring about their needs.. I think the art of friendship has been lost nowadays. We separate in so many issues and what is lost is time. Time in prayer with each other, time in listening to one another, time just caring for one another. What was meant as an insult to Jesus calling Him friend of sinners, was what brought Him glory and honor. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. God spent time cultivating his friendships. I think the best of friends are the ones that may have not talked for a while but don't miss a beat by catching up and honoring one another. I love friends like that, and I have friends like that in my life. I guess what I am trying to say is friendship takes hard work and getting yourself involved more. Instead of always trying to make friends, why not go and be a true friend to someone. More importantly, an enemy, that you have problems with. You might have more in common than you think. And the best gift you can offer your friend is time. You might not have the money, nor the same agreement on an issue, but you do have time. Time can help make you a real true friend to someone. I love reading about Job in the bible when he use to walk in his city. The poor knew him by name, the widow was overjoyed when he came, and the orphan found their way to him. He took the time when available to spend quality time. The best friends you can make are those in the fellowship of Christ. They connect better more than any other passion you can find. They share in the love of Christ poured out by Holy Spirit. This passionate friendship Jesus has for sinners we share in it as well. It covers a multitude of sins and lets love prosper. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. Jesus died for sinners to save them, but also gave them the opportunity to truly know God. He has given us the gift of time though in a perishing world to have a relationship with Him. Use it wisely and be a friend of God.
Meditate Prov. 18:24
