Six-year-old George listened very attentively to his pastor’s sermon. As he and his father were leaving the 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 imagine that I’ll 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. Their 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 - once made - they usually last a lifetime.
On the other hand, friendships are formed when individuals have common likes and dislikes, goals and values. Friends have “common denominators” that draw them together and provide a sense of mutual trust. This fact is emphasized in Proverbs: “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in times of need.”
Perhaps the most significant benefit of friendship is loyalty - standing with or alongside 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 realize the need for a friend and the true meaning of loyalty. There is nothing more valuable than a friend. We need to make them before we need them. Remember, it takes a friend to become a friend!
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: A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17
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