Proverbs 27:7 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” God has a wonderful purpose for friendships. He desires that friends not only find enjoyment in each other’s company, but also that they would serve a higher purpose. God wants friendships to be based on Him. He desires friends to mutually strengthen and encourage each other in spiritual things.
Before I dedicated my life to Christ, my friendships did not always serve the purpose of building up each other for God. Often my friends and I talked about things that did not glorify God. We would gossip about other people, talk about popular culture and obsess over guys and the coarser things in life. This type of relationship is not God’s idea of friendship.
The Bible says: “faithful are the wounds of a friend.” A good friend will be willing to tell you when you are in the wrong. A faithful friend will stop you when you are about to gossip. A faithful friend will lovingly point out areas in your life that are inconsistent with God’s Word. Why? Because a faithful friend, according to God’s standards, will encourage you in your walk with God. Often when we are in the midst of a sinful action or attitude we cannot see it for ourselves. However, Godly friends who are removed from the situation can easily pick up on our wrong attitudes and actions.
One of my most faithful and best friends is my sister. More than once she has told me to, “Watch your facial expressions when you’re not happy about something,” or even, “I don’t really think that’s any of your business.” Do I like it when she talks to me like that? Not always, and definitely not in the moment. However, once I’ve detached myself from the sting of the criticism I can quickly see that she is right and that she is encouraging me to grow more like Christ.
Let’s evaluate our friendships and see what they are based on. Are they based on the things of this world that will fade away, or are they based on strengthening each other in Christ?
For more articles from this blogger, check out:
5 Tips for Having Family Devotions With Toddlers
How to Handle Those Crazy Sunday Mornings