Friendship...

So... I have been thinking of friends lately.  I am just so grateful for my friends.  I have been blessed with the best of friends.  I believe God puts the people we are to help and love into our lives for His purpose.  But I also believe that we can allow the wrong people into our lives and they can drag us down or even take us out.  


My hubby is teaching the teens about relationships and friendships.  I think this is such an important thing to learn about as young people.  Even kids should learn this important lesson.  Our friendships are very important in building us for the right future spouse and also will either help or hinder our relationship with God (the most important relationship we can ever have).  


I have not always felt the love of friendship as I do today.  Especially in high school.  I remember spending many lunches by myself and feeling out of place and unwanted.  I was very shy and would not put myself out there to make many friends.  Most times I felt unworthy or a burden to people.  I can sometimes go back to this place and feel the same way now even though I know it isn't true.  


I was talking with a friend about friendships and how we can sometimes feel left out or if someone new coming into a group of ladies will overshadow us.  I think this is an attack from the devil.  I really do.  What is a better way to get contention and strife into a church?  Through the women of the church.  If the women find themselves fighting with each other and contending for "position" or "responsibility" then he has a hold of those women.  The devil can plant seeds of doubt and hurt which will turn into backbiting and strife.  Then we can take that home, give it to our husbands and the cycle will then take over the men of the church.  Wow!  We can be so manipulated.

When I think about friendships, I think of honesty, politeness, love, kindness, openness and being yourself.  


Here are a few verses that I found about friendship:

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


Pro 19:6  Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. 


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


Pro 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 

 Pro 18:24  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.


When I was going through the verses on friendships I thought of Job.  His friends were not the nicest and were not really loving to him.  When Job lost everything his friends accused him of not being right with God and then his wife, the woman that was supposed to stand by him and love him and be his best friend said he should curse God and die.  Wow.  How can we fight this battle in our own lives?  


We learn from Job that we cannot put all our trust and faith in the friends we have on this earth.  We are all sinful and human and can hurt each other.  Sometimes we are too sensitive and take things out of context or sometimes we loose friends that we thought we would have forever.  We can even be hurt and disappointed by the one that is supposed to be there, our husband or wife.  We need to be fast to forgive when it doesn't seam like our friends are being friendly.  We all make mistakes and I know I have made my fair share of hurtful mistakes in my friendships (not meaning too or just out of dumbness).  I would hope that my friends would give me the same forgiveness back.


But there is One that wont ever let us down.  He wont ever leave us or take us astray.  The Bible says He "is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  
The Bible also says this:
Mic 7:5-8  Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.  For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.  Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.  Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.


Our friendships are very important.  I love having friends that love the Lord and want to serve Him.  It is something that brings us closer together and keeps us growing strong.  But something we forget too often is who should be our best friend... Jesus.  


For my friends: I love you guys!  You're amazing women and I am so glad to have you in my life. :)  God has blessed me above all measure with you ladies.