Six-year-old George listened very attentively to his pastor’s sermon. As he and his father were leaving church he said, “Pastor, I heard you say that I should love my enemies. I’m only six and I don’t have any. But I hope to have some next year when I’m seven.”
Individuals tend to become enemies when they cannot agree on an issue or a course of action or a goal. The differences become insurmountable, positions harden and opinions become set in stone. We might well say that enemies are “made.” Unfortunately, it is easy to make them and they usually last a life time.
On the other hand, friendships are formed when individuals have common likes and dislikes, goals and values. There are “common denominators” that draw them together and a sense of mutual trust. And we read in Proverbs, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in times of need.”
Perhaps the greatest part of friendship is loyalty – standing with or along side of someone when they are enduring times of distress or disappointment, sickness or struggles that never seem to end. When there are “calm seas and gentle winds” carrying us along life’s journey, we can pretty much make it on our own.
But when the waves are crashing and the winds are howling – that’s when we discover the true meaning of friendship and loyalty. There seems to be nothing as valuable as a friend. We need to make more of them!
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to reach out and make friends with those who are our sisters and brothers in Christ so that we may grow together in loyalty and service. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture for Today: Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
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