Why do I have friends?

Let me start with a video....

The need for human relationships has been around since the beginning. Adam needed a companion. Someone who would be his helper. One that was suitable to him. While the creation of woman speaks to the importance of the marital relationship, there is something else we can glean from this passage.

We need people. The bottom line is we cannot go it alone.

We need to do many things if we are to live in relationship to one another...

We need to live in unity - Psalm 133:1

We are to love and honor one another - Romans 12:10

We are to mind our own business [Can anyone say the word busybody?] - 1 Thessalonians 4:10

We are to love each other as brothers and sisters - Hebrews 13:1

We are to love deeply, from the heart - 1 Peter 1:22

Sometimes when a friend gives correction or calls us on a matter we may not like it. We may think the friend is not being kind to us. At times, I know I have thought, "How dare they say that to me? I know what I am doing!". However, we need to appreciate the friend that will confront us with the truth. It means they care. Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens a friend [ Proverbs 27:17]

Yesterday, I mentioned the scripture which speaks of the faithful wounds of a friend [Proverbs 27:6]. Gill's Exposition on the Entire Bible says this, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend,.... That is, friendly reproofs; which, though they may be severe, at least thought so, and may grieve and wound, and cause pain and uneasiness for the present, yet, proceeding from a spirit of love, faithfulness, and integrity, and designed for the good of the person reproved, ought to be kindly received; see Psalm 141:5].

It is good to receive counsel, wisdom and instruction from a good friend. It can keep us from going down a dangerous path or it steers us in the right direction or more importantly it spurs us on to a closer relationship with the Lord. The Bible says that there is safety with many counselors [Proverbs 11:14].

Friendship with Feet
Write a thank you note for a friend [NOT AN EMAIL CARD] thanking them for their friendship. Maybe choose the friend who gave correction which may have hurt at the time it was given but in the end it proved that it was good counsel for you.