Proverbs 17 The value of friendship
A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity v 17
Social networking has brought a
new dimension to the concept of friendship. We can have hundreds of friends on
Facebook, followers on Twitter or contacts on Linked in. Good as they may be
they are no substitute for close face to face friendships, which is recognised
here by the writer of the Proverbs. a man
of many companions may come to ruin but there is a friend who sticks closer
than a brother Pr 18 v24.
We can learn much from the many examples of
loyal friendships in the Bible including David and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1 v 36)
or Ruth’s loyalty to her mother in law Naomi (Ruth 1 v16) or Jesus himself in
his relationships with his followers and companions.
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in
palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She
writes about the extraordinary perspective and the clarity of vision that
people have when they know their lives are coming to an end. One of the
consistent regrets expressed was I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Many
had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships
slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving
friendships the time and effort that they deserved. We all need close friends
who we don’t have to pretend with and who will be there for us whatever life’s
challenges. Friendships don’t just
happen overnight. We have to invest time in them.
Pray
that God would give you the opportunity today to invest in a friendship.
(husband and wife)